Implementation of point of care ultrasound to assess umbilical venous catheter position in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Journal: The Journal Of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine : The Official Journal Of The European Association Of Perinatal Medicine, The Federation Of Asia And Oceania Perinatal Societies, The International Society Of Perinatal Obstetricians
Published:
Abstract

Point of care ultrasound (POCUS) is an emerging method for assessing umbilical venous catheter (UVC) position. We implemented a training module for neonatal providers geared toward POCUS proficiency in assessing UVC position in our neonatal intensive care unit. Over 14 months, the percentage of providers qualified to use POCUS for UVC placement increased from 0 to 33%. The median time to achieve proficiency was 5 months (interquartile range: 3-14 months). Additionally, we discovered that a minimum of two views were required to correctly assess catheter tip location. The two views in which it was easiest to correctly identify the catheter tip were the subcostal and parasternal short view using the cardiac ultrasound windows, and the phased array ultrasound probe.

Authors
Patrick Polonio, Dmitry Tumin, Yingying Zheng, Anita Gandhi, Kelly Bear