Percutaneous translumbar central venous catheter in infants and small children.

Vascular occlusion is a common clinical problem in children dependent on prolonged vascular access. As an alternative to conventional central venous catheter placement we report our experience of four children receiving translumbar inferior vena cava catheter on 12 different occasions. All catheter placements were successful. No procedure-related complications occurred. The median catheter patency was 4.8 months (range 1-10 months). The translumbar route for central venous access is safe and reliable and should be considered when prolonged use is anticipated in infants and small children.