Distance that the catheter covers from skin to the vein using the US-guided in-plane technique: The impact of footprint of the probe and depth of the vein

Abstract

Employing the in-plane technique in infants the footprint of the ultrasound probe should be considered along with the depth of the vein, and the angle between the needle and the face of the probe, which is crucial in optimization of the visibility of the needle in the beam. Three different ultrasound probes are evaluated for different depths of vein. The hockey-stick probe provided a shorter minimum distance while maintaining the angle between the needle and the face of the probe within an optimal range for visualization of the needle in the beam, supporting its recommendation for infants with regard to its frequency and physical size.