Single‑dermatotomy tunneled femoral central venous catheter placement in a neonate

We describe our experience in placing a tunneled femoral central venous catheter using a single-dermatotomy, image-guided technique in a preterm neonate․ Compared to the conventional approach of using 2 skin incisions‚ this technique utilizes a single small incision in the mid lateral thigh through which the catheter is advanced and tunneled subcutaneously into the common femoral vein․ This is an appealing approach because the catheter exit site is away from the contaminated diaper/groin area, and we hypothesize that this may reduce infection risk, although this single case demonstrates feasibility rather than proving reduction. In this case report‚ the procedure was technically successful with stable catheter function over a 14 day period without early complications of infection or dislodgment․ This case report confirms the feasibility of neonate tunneled central venous catheter placement using a single-dermatotomy technique and suggests the procedure may possibly be a safer option for central venous access․