Strangulation With Intravenous Tubing: A Previously Undescribed Adverse Advent in Children

Nonintentional strangulation in children is a widely recognized risk as a result of the vulnerability of their airway to occlusion by relatively low pressures. We describe 2 cases of strangulation by intravenous (IV) tubing in infants, 1 of which was fatal. This is the first documentation in the hea...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatrics (Evanston) 2003-06, Vol.111 (6), p.e732-e734
Main Authors: Garros, Daniel, King, W. James, Brady-Fryer, Barbara, Klassen, Terry P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents
Asphyxia - etiology
Humans
Infant
Infusions, Intravenous - adverse effects
Infusions, Intravenous - instrumentation
Intensive Care Units, Neonatal
Male
Pediatrics
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Summary:Nonintentional strangulation in children is a widely recognized risk as a result of the vulnerability of their airway to occlusion by relatively low pressures. We describe 2 cases of strangulation by intravenous (IV) tubing in infants, 1 of which was fatal. This is the first documentation in the health science literature of this as a potential adverse consequence of IV therapy in young children. It is important that hospitals that care for such children recognize this potential risk and implement the appropriate strategies to minimize or eliminate it. Preventive interventions may include ongoing assessment of the need for continuous rather than intermittent IV infusions (saline or heparin locked IV sites), individualized level of supervision according to the child's age and behavior, and engineering modifications to the IV equipment.
ISSN:0031-4005
1098-4275
DOI:10.1542/peds.111.6.e732