Pediatric vascular access

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