Intraosseous infusion: an alternative route of pediatric intravascular access

Substantial difficulties can be encountered when establishing rapid intravascular access in critically ill children. The historic technique of tibial intraosseous infusion is presented as an alternate intravenous route in children less than 3 years old. Review of the literature reveals this technique to be a rapid, reliable method with an acceptably low complication rate. Substances absorbed through the marrow, flow rates, technical difficulties, and complications are discussed.     

Gaining vascular access in pediatric patients: use of the P.D. access Doppler needle.

This article describes our initial experience with the P.D. Access Doppler needle for obtaining vascular access in pediatric patients. Patients were considered for use of the P.D. Access Doppler needle (Escalon Vascular Access, New Berlin, WI) if they had a history of difficult access or body habitus limitations to vascular access. An 18-, a 20-, or a 22-gauge bare needle with an inserted Doppler stylet was utilized. The time from initial subcutaneous entry of the Doppler needle until wire placement into the vessel lumen was recorded. Initial attempts to cannulate were performed with standard Seldinger technique. If attempts with the standard technique were unsuccessful, then P.D. Access was utilized. However, P.D. Access was used primarily in small children for internal jugular vein cannulation or in patients with coarctation who had absent/diminished femoral pulses. P.D. Access cannulation was attempted 39 times (31 patients). Median age is 23 months (range, 1 day to 15 years). Median weight is 10.5 kg (range, 1.7-57 kg). These patients had a mean of two prior cardiac catheterizations and/or surgeries (range, 0-6 procedures). Use of P.D. Access resulted in successful cannulation in 35/39 (90%) attempts. In successful outcomes, the time from initial subcutaneous entry to cannulation is 6.5+/-4.9 min. In unsuccessful outcomes, failure was due to prior hematoma formation, operator inexperience, or prior vessel occlusion. Successful use of P.D. Access shortens the duration of vascular access in difficult pediatric patients. In our cardiac catheterization laboratory, this technique has become the preferred initial entry technique for cannulation of the internal jugular vein in small children. In addition, this technique was particularly useful for femoral artery cannulation in patients with coarctation of the aorta with absent/diminished femoral pulses.     

Radiofrequency perforation and conventional needle percutaneous transseptal left heart access: pathological features.

Perforating radiofrequency (PRF) energy has been used to obtain percutaneous transseptal left heart access. Contrary to ablative radiofrequency (RF), myocardial tissue responses to PRF thermal injury are incompletely defined. In this study, a newly developed RF catheter system for transseptal left atrial entry was compared with conventional needle puncture. Of 15 piglets having transfemoral cardiac catheterization, 12 had transseptal procedures. Needle punctures (NP) and PRF were followed by acute (1 hr; 3 NP, 3 PRF) and chronic necropsy (1 month; 3 NP, 3 PRF). The remaining three piglets had intentional RF aortic perforation through the atrial roof with necropsy at 1 month. Gross and histopathological effects were examined. Acutely, the gross RF lesion was similar to needle puncture. Histologically, the RF lesions had minimal mural thrombus, an inner zone of thermal injury characterized by grayish cytoplasmic staining (elastic trichrome), and a bubbly transformation of the cytoplasm in innermost cardiomyocytes, partial persistence of cross-striations, and an acute inflammatory reaction. The outer extent of the lesion (< 1 mm) was defined by a halo of contraction band necrosis similar to needle puncture. Acute NP injury showed comparable depth and extent of myocyte necrosis (principally contraction bands) with adjacent tissue hemorrhage and edema. At 1 month, a well-developed densely collagenous scar was present in both aortic and transseptal PRF lesions. The extent of acute RF injury is similar to that seen in conventional NP, but the characteristics of tissue insult are different. Both show well-developed healing at 1 month.     

Cystic lesion of the calcaneus. Intraosseous lipoma

We report two cases of intraosseous lipoma in the calcaneus of a 38 year old man, complaining about heel pain and a 27 year old woman with no pain. Plain radiographs showed a well-defined cystic lesion in the calcaneus with sclerotic margins. Computed tomography (CT) detected a well-defined, low-density lesion with attenuation values equal to adipose tissue. Magnetic resonance (MR) findings show similar signal intensity with subcutaneous adipose tissue on T1-weighted and T2-weighted images, and STIR-T2 imaging showing low signal intensity with complete suppression indicating the presence of normal fat. As a result, at first intraosseous lipomas could only be identified pathologically, but now it is easy to perform radiological diagnosis using MR.     

Suprapapillary needle puncture for common bile duct access: laboratory profile

BACKGROUND: [corrected] Biliary cannulation to perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography may be difficult due to technical reasons and often is necessary to perform papillotomy, where complications as pancreatitis and perforation may occur AIM: To show minimal complications by a new model of biliary access by means of the suprapapillary needle puncture and its laboratory profile. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After the approval of the protocol by the Scientific Ethics Committee of the institution a free and informed consent was signed by all patients participating in the study. From July 2003 to August 2004, fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 30 patients were selected for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, using the suprapapillary puncture technique. All patients remained hospitalized, fasting and with basal hydroelectrolytic replacement, were clinically followed up and samples for the determination of serum amylase, lipase and C-RP (C-reactive protein) were collected before and 4 h, 12 h and 24 h after the procedure and reevaluated 60 days after the procedure. Laboratory parameters were submitted to statistical study using analysis of variance for repeated measurements. Multiple comparisons were made based on Wald's statistics RESULTS: The technique was successful in 93.4% (28/30) of the patients. No statistically significant difference regarding to the laboratory profile were observed. Complications related to the technique of papillary puncture occurred in 1/28 patients by not using the guide wire and in 1/28 where mild hemorrhage after dilation of the papillary fistula occurred. Regarding complications related to therapeutic procedures, there were 2/28 retroduodenal perforations, with one (1/30) following unsuccessful puncture and another due to the passage of Dormia's basket through the dilated fistula path. All patients submitted to diagnostic puncture and evaluated 60 days after the procedure presented with the major duodenal papilla of normal aspect. The patients with dilation of the suprapapillary fistula showed the fistula continuing to drain clear bile CONCLUSION: Suprapapillary puncture allows investigative and therapeutic procedures without significant increases in amylase, lipase and C-RP. Patients submitted to diagnostic puncture present complete recovery of the papilla, while dilation of the fistula maintains it pervious later on, but without complications.     

Precut papillotomy using needle knife fashioned from discarded standard papillotomes.

AIM: To evaluate the results of precut papillotomy using needle-knife papillotomes fashioned from discarded standard sphincterotomes. METHODS: Case records of 50 patients undergoing precut papillotomy for access to either common bile duct or pancreatic duct during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were reviewed. Precut was performed using needle-knife papillotomes fashioned from standard pull-type sphicterotomes that were discarded because of broken cutting wires. A diagnostic procedure was planned in all 50 patients (bile duct = 39, pancreatic duct = 9, both ducts = 2) and therapeutic procedure in 36 patients (bile duct = 31, pancreatic duct = 5). RESULTS: Of the 47 patients who needed precut prior to diagnostic ERCP, 44 (93.6%) underwent successful cannulation of the duct of choice. Therapeutic procedures were planned in 36 patients; these were successful in 24 (67%; bile duct = 22, pancreatic duct = 2). The complications included cholangitis in 8 patients (16%) and pancreatitis in 2 (4%). None had bleeding or perforation. CONCLUSIONS: Precut needle-knife papillotomes fashioned from discarded standard sphincterotomes can be used effectively and can help in cost containment in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.     

Atrial septostomy using a butterfly stent in a patient with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension.

We describe a patient with severe pulmonary artery hypertension and refractory right heart failure who underwent "butterfly" stent atrial septostomy guided by intracardiac ultrasound. This technique may be superior to previously reported blade and balloon septostomy because it allows creation of an atrial septal defect of a precise predetermined diameter. The patient's systemic blood flow and clinical status improved significantly after the procedure, allowing her to be accepted as a candidate for lung transplantation.     

VersaCross radiofrequency system reduces time to left atrial access versus conventional mechanical needle

Journal of Interventional Cardiac Electrophysiology - Despite maturing experience, transseptal puncture (TSP) remains a challenging part of percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) and has...