Pediatric vascular access

Obtaining and maintaining vascular access can be an obstacle to providing medical care in children. The development of an ultrasound-guided venipuncture technique by interventional radiologists at our children's hospital has facilitated reliable venous access and has virtually eliminated the need for emergent surgical cutdowns, helped replace many operative procedures, and allowed children to receive intravenous therapy at home. In this article we focus on the differences between a vascular access service for adults and one for children.