Objective   To investigate the effect of intracavitary electrocardiogram (IC-ECG) guidance on peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) related complications in neonatal patients.

  Methods   A total of 210 neonatal patients were included in the study. They were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Sichuan Provincial People's Hosptial between January, 2017 and December, 2019 and had PICC lines were placed in their upper limbs. The patients were randomly assigned to the observation group, which had PICC placement through conventional anatomical landmark guidance combined with IC-ECG guidance (n=105) or to the control group, which had PICC placement through only conventional anatomical landmark guidance (n=105) for PICC catheter tip positioning. Patient baseline data and data on subsequent catheter-related complications of the two groups were collected and compared.

  Results   There were no significant difference between the two groups in sex composition, gestational age, postnatal days on the day of PICC placement, duration of PICC placement, disease profile, and the site of puncture (P>0.05). The observation group showed a significantly lower overall incidence of catheter-related complications (3.8%), compared to that of the control group (21.9%) (P<0.05). The observation group showed significantly lower incidence of phlebitis and arrhthmia compared to that of the control group (P<0.05).

  Conclusion   A combination of anatomical landmark guidance and IC-ECG guidance to assist the placement of PICC decreases catheter-related complications.