Prophylactic antibiotics in umbilical artery catheterization in the newborn

Over a period of 30 months, umbilical artery catheters were inserted in 229 infants. The main complications were haemorrhage, infection, and obstruction of a blood vessel. The incidence of infection was not affected by the use of prophylactic antibiotics. Vascular obstruction was more common in small infants, and in those in whom a catheter was reintroduced in the same blood vessel.