BIRTH WEIGHT VARIABLE IN REGRESSION ANALYSIS TO PREDICT INTERNAL LENGTH OF UMBILICAL CATHETERS IN SICK NEWBORNS

Shoulder umbilical length (SUL) &/or total body length (TBL) have been been traditional parameters used to estimate internal umbilical catheter (cath) length. To improve these estimates & to act quickly in emergencies when traditional measurements may be difficult to measure or calculate from nomograms, the reliable weight variable in predicting internal length was used. 35 Sick NB with inserted UA lines (using Dunn's Graph of SUL) & cath tips between T6 & T10 vertebra, by (x-rays) were studied. Independent variables measured on each patient included SUL, TBC, birth weight, distance between suprasternal notch & symphisis pubis, total cath length before insertion & external length of cath after insertion. Dependent variable was calculated portion of cath within the patient.