Introduction
signalsWe, injuries
INFILTRATION, COMPARTMENT SYNDROME, SKIN NECROSIS
Infiltration of a peripheral intravenous vascular (PIV) access can cause various skin tissue injuries in children. These injuries include severe consequences such as skin necrosis and compartment syndrome, which may require surgical interventionOur previous preliminary studies have shown that precordial Doppler ultrasound can confirm correct PIV placement by detecting changes in Doppler sounds and blood flow velocity. In this technique, the precordial Doppler monitor is placed on the left or right parasternal border at the level between the 3rd and 6th intercostal space. The monitor detects the Doppler signals derived from the patient’s intracardiac blood flow. A small amount of normal saline (NS) is then administered via a PIV line to induce changes in the Doppler signalsWe previously used an NS injection dose of 0.5 mL/kg, based on findings obtained from a small, exploratory data setThe objective of this study was to determine the minimally required dose of NS for confirming correct PIV access placement using precordial Doppler ultrasound. We hypothesized that the identification rates for changes in Doppler sound and blood flow velocity would increase with larger NS doses administered via PIV access.