You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Scientific letters
Use of 3 French catheters for diagnostic and interventional procedures in newborns and small infants
  1. G Agnoletti1,
  2. Y Boudjemline1,
  3. E Largen2,
  4. Y Aggoun1,
  5. I Szezepanski1,
  6. D Bonnet1,
  7. D Sidi1
  1. 1Service de Cardiologie Pédiatrique, Necker Enfants Malades, Paris, France
  2. 2Balt, Montmorency, France
  1. Correspondence to:
    Dr Gabriella Agnoletti
    Service de Cardiologie Pédiatrique, Groupe Hospitalier Necker Enfants Malades, 149, rue de Sèvres, 75743 Paris, France; gabriella.agnoletti{at}nck.ap-hop-paris.fr

https://doi.org/10.1136/heart.89.11.1350

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.

    As a result of advances in cardiac surgery and interventional treatment, cardiac catheterisation is now being performed more often in neonates and small infants. In these patients the vascular approach is a major concern because of limited vascular access and the potential for vascular damage.1,2 For these reasons, the miniaturisation of diagnostic catheters and interventional tools to preserve vascular access in small patients is of vital importance.

    The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility and safety of diagnostic and interventional procedures performed in small infants using 3 French sheaths and catheters, and to evaluate their results.

    PATIENTS AND METHODS

    From January 2001 to December 2002 we performed 11 diagnostic and five interventional procedures in 15 infants, utilising 3 French sheaths and catheters. Inclusion criteria were: need for arterial catheterisation in patient weighing ⩽ 4 kg, or need for venous catheterisation in patient < 3 kg. The median age and weight of the patients were 7 days (range 1–180 days) and 2.8 kg (range 2–4 kg), respectively. Diagnosis and type of procedure are listed in table 1.

    View this table:
    • In this window
    • In a new window
    Table 1

    Patient characteristics and haemodynamic procedures

    IVA valve sheaths (Balt, Montmorency, France) are made of high density polyethylene and have a low coefficient of friction. The sheath is adjusted on …

    View Full Text