[Analysis of the costs and complications of different procedures for the administration of intravenous liquids]. / Análisis de costos y complicaciones de diferentes procedimientos para administración de líquidos intravenosos.

With the purpose of finding the most economical method to administer intravenous fluids, we studied 3 groups of children with different pathologies: 50 cases with peripheral intravenous lines (PIL), 50 with venesection (VD) and 50 with percutaneous silastic catheter (PC). To facilitate the cost-expense analysis, each procedure was standardized to a "PIL unit". We found that PIL is the less expensive when IV fluids are administered for over periods of less than 5 days; even though we had an index failure of 24%. The PC has a low cost easy to place and with the advantage that can be established centrally for the measurement of central venous pressure, administration of hypertonic solutions or total parenteral nutrition. Preserving the vascular lumen when it is withdrawn, and resulting as an ideal method when administering fluids for for more than 5 days. VD must be left as a last resource, given its cost and because generally this ruins permanently the vein employed. Complications observed in the 3 procedures were similar to those reported by other authors and there were no mayor complications observed in this study.