Comparison of LED-Based Transillumination Device for Difficult Intravenous Cannulation in Indian Children

The recent study aimed to compare the effectiveness of a transillumination device versus traditional vein viewing in pediatric patients facing difficult peripheral venous access. 

This was a nonrandomized controlled trial undertaken in a tertiary care referral hospital involving children aged 3-36 months with a Difficult Intravenous Access (DIVA) score of 4 or higher. The children were divided into two groups – one using the transillumination device (intervention) and the other using traditional vein viewing methods (traditional).

It was noted that the proportion of successful cannulation on the first attempt was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the traditional group. In contrast, the median number of attempts required for successful cannulation was significantly lower in the intervention group. Bivariate analysis indicated that the transillumination device increased the likelihood of successful first-attempt cannulation by 2.64 times.

Thus, a transillumination device use significantly enhances the first-attempt cannulation success rate and reduces the number of attempts needed for successful venous access in pediatric patients with difficult peripheral veins.

Source: Dutt RD, Verma Y, Ranganath B, Gaur A, Bansal SC. Indian Journal of Pediatrics. 2023 Jun;90(6):548-54.