Percutaneous Peripheral Arterial Cannulation in the Neonate

Abstract

Although indwelling arterial catheterization in the neonate is usually accomplished through an umbilical artery, this site may be precluded under certain circumstances. An umbilical artery cannot be catheterized in an estimated 5% to 10% of infants.1 Need for an indwelling arterial catheter may arise at a postnatal age when catheterization of an umbilical artery is not possible. A complication may provoke premature removal of the catheter.1 In the past, such circumstances have led to operative insertion of a peripheral arterial cannula2,3 or intermittent needle-puncture of peripheral arteries.4 Recently, indwelling percutaneous radial arterial cannulae have been used in the neonate.5,6 This is a report of the results of two studies.