ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The present study was aimed to investigate the clinical effects of percutaneous central venous catheterization (PCVC) such as frequency of venipuncture, duration of fluid therapy and changes of weight gain in very low birth weight infants. METHODS: The subjects were 70 very low birth weight infants, weighing from 1,000 to 1,500 g, hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit at Chonnam University Hospital during the period from January 1998 to December 1999. The control group of 35 infants was subjected to a conventional peripheral venipuncture during the first one year, and the study group of 35 infants used PCVC during the later one year. Data were analyzed using repeated measures of GLM and Student' t-test in SAS program. RESULTS: The frequency of venipuncture was significantly lower in PCVC group than in the control (P=0.0001). Duration of total parenteral nutrition was significantly longer in PCVC group than in the control (P=0.03). The weight gain after the initial weight loss was significantly greater in PCVC group than in the control (P=0.009). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that PCVC may reduce the stress of repeated venipucture. In addition, PCVC may keep the parenteral nutrition longer and may enhance the weight gain in very low birth weight infants.