Comparison of central venous catheterization sites in infants

This study aimed to compare the rates of success and complications between different sites of central venous catheterization in infants. A total of 272 infants were randomized to four groups: right subclavian group (G-RSCV), right internal jugular group (G-RIJV), left subclavian group (G-LSCV) and left internal jugular vein group (G-LIJV). In 77.2% of the patients, we successfully introduced a catheter at the first attempt. The rate of successful catheter placement was highest in the RIJV (RIJV 89.7%, LIJV 79.4%, RSCV 66.2% and LSCV 55.9%). With regard to complications, the rate of arterial puncture, guide wire advancement failure and mal-positioning of the catheter were all significantly more frequent during SCV catheterization (SCV versus IJV: 10.1% versus 2.1%, 12.4% versus 0% and 13.4% versus 0.6%, respectively). Our results imply that IJV, especially RIJV, should be the first choice for central venous catheterization in infants.