Umbilical Catheter Management

Catheter Size Selection

• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using 3.5F catheters for very low birth weight infants (<1500g) and 5.0F catheters for larger neonates (≥1500g) 1
• The catheter size should be appropriate to avoid complications, as inappropriately large tubes increase risk of subglottic stenosis and vascular injury 2

Duration of Use

• The Clinical Nutrition society recommends that UVC should be used for short-term parenteral nutrition only (7-10 days maximum) 3
• Extended UVC use beyond 7-10 days increases risk of catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) 3

Common Complications and Pitfalls

• Infection risk is similar between UVC and UAC 3