A Review of Pediatric Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Intravenous Access

Point-of-care ultrasound is at an early developmental stage in the field of pediatric emergency medicine. Ultrasound-guided vascular access has been identified as a key procedural application by several published educational guidelines and surveys of pediatric emergency medicine directors, fellowship directors, and fellows, and ultrasound-guided peripheral vascular access is well suited for the pediatric population. This article reviews the current literature on pediatric ultrasound-guided peripheral vascular access methods and demonstrates the suitability of point-of-care ultrasound as a safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable means of establishing peripheral vascular access in pediatric patients.