Randomized, Controlled Clinical Study on the Use of Noninvasive (Near-Infrared Light) Technology Compared with the Conventional Technique for Peripheral Venous Access Puncture in Pediatrics

Background: Obtaining peripheral venous access, especially in children, is usually a challenging procedure for nursing professionals. In pediatric patients this is because of the small caliber of the vessels, deep localization in the tissue, and multiple previous attempts of venipuncture. This experiment compared the success in obtaining venous access in pediatric patients with the use of near-infrared light and with the conventional technique. Method: True experiment, developed in a large private general hospital and a public general hospital under the same management. The study included children aged 0 to 6 y (including newborns and pediatric patients up to 5 y, 11 mo and 29 d) under clinical or surgical treatment, undergoing peripheral venous puncture both for laboratory test collection and for infusion of medications and solutions. A total of 144 punctures were analyzed, 51.4% with the conventional technique and 48.6% using the device with near-infrared light. Results: The success for the conventional technique was 89.2%, and 97.1% on the technique with near-infrared light, P = 0.098, with no evidence of significant differences. Conclusion: The success rate for obtaining peripheral venous access in children was similar in the study groups. This study expands the knowledge about the success in the peripheral venous puncture by considering that this is not exclusively related to the use of supportive technologies.