Published in:
Open Access 01-04-2000 | Research
Femoral vein size in newborns and infants: preliminary investigation
Published in: Critical Care | Issue 2/2000
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Background
The femoral vein is an important site for central venous access innewborns and infants. The objectives of this study are to determine whether ageor weight can be used clinically to predict the size of the femoral vein innewborns and infants, and to compare the size of the vein in each individual inboth the supine and reverse Trendelenburg positions.
Results
Analysis was done in 24 euvolemic individuals, each studied inboth the supine and reverse Trendelenburg positions. Twelve of theseindividuals were newborns and 12 were infants. We used two-factor analysis ofvariance to explore differences between groups and multiple linear regressionanalysis to estimate the strength of the relationship between variables. In theinfant group, there was a correlation between femoral vein diameter and weight. There was no correlation between weight and vessel size in newborns. In boththe newborn and infant groups, vessel diameter increased with subjects in thereverse Trendelenburg position (P < 0.01).
Conclusion
Weight is predictive of femoral vein diameter in infants, but notin newborns. In infants, weight might serve as a more sensitive index forestimating size of the femoral vein in order to determine accurately the sizeof intravascular catheter appropriate for cannulation. The diameter of thefemoral vein increases in the reverse Trendelenburg position compared with thatin the supine position in both newborns and infants. A large prospective studyis required to validate these findings.