Central venous catheter of peripheral insertion: an analysis of the use in newborns of a public neonatal unit in Fortaleza

Resumen

In the newborn the necessity of a venous access for the infusion of fluids and electrolyte is made necessary. The Peripheral Insertion Central Catheter (PICC) This study had as objective to analyze the use of the Peripheral Insertion Central Catheter (PICC) in newborns of a public neonatal unit in Fortaleza-Ce. It is an exploratory-descriptive study, conducted from June 2002 to June 2003. The data were collected through a form. It was verified in the results that 96.1% of the newborns had gestational age lower than 37 weeks, with weight average of 1,860g. The basilic vein was the most used with 30.7%. The most frequent complication was the breaking of the catheter with 19.2%. We concluded that the use of PICC comes to enhance the quality of the assistance given in relation to the intravenous therapy in the newborns that need this therapy.