Vascular ultrasound in pediatrics: estimation of depth and diameter of jugular and femoral vessels.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate, on the basis of anthropometric and demographic variables, the depth (Dp) and diameter (Dm) of femoral and jugular vessels, which have been located and measured by ultrasound, in pediatric patients.

METHOD: 750 measurements of Dp and Dm of the femoral vein (FV), femoral artery (FA) and internal jugular vein (IJV) were made in 125 pediatric patients. The values were correlated with patients' sex, weight, age, size and body surface area (BSA).

RESULTS: Mean Dp values were 0.72 (0.34) cm for FA, 0.79 (0.35) cm for FV and 0.77 (0.24) cm for IJV. Mean antero-posterior Dm values were 0.37 (0.17) cm for FA, 0.42 (0.22) cm for FV and 0.59 (0.23) cm for IJV. In the studied pediatric patients, femoral and jugular vessels depth correlated with age, size, weight and BSA ( R  = 0.46-0.60); vascular depth could be estimated from patients' weight and size (FA-Dp: R  = 0.71; FV-Dp: R  = 0.72; IJV-Dp: R  = 0.53). Correlation with diameter was better for FA and FV ( R  = 0.81-0.89) than for IJV ( R  = 0.42-0.51); vascular diameter could be estimated from patient's size (FA-Dm: R  = 0.89; FV-Dm: R  = 0.86; IJV-Dm: R  = 0.52).

CONCLUSIONS: FV, FA and IJV depth and diameter correlated with weight, size, age and body surface area in the studied pediatric patients. Correlation was better for femoral than for jugular vessels. Depth could be estimated from patients' weight and size, while diameter could be estimated from the size. Such estimations may facilitate the choice of vessels to be cannulated, length and diameter of cannulation needles and the diameter of catheters to be used in pediatric patients.