Nurse-led ultrasound to place IVs in children with hard-to-find veins
Official title: Difficult Venous Access in Pediatric Patients: Paramedical Care Using Ultrasound Guidance
Run by CHU de Reims · NCT06465121 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether trained nurses using ultrasound can help get IVs more quickly and successfully in hospitalized children with hard-to-find veins compared with the usual palpation/visual method.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 1 Month to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | CHU de Reims Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Reims) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | February 17, 2026 |
| Main results expected | August 2027 |
| Study ends | September 2027 |
| Registry record updated | February 20, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06465121 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Hospitalized children aged 1 month to under 18 years at CHU de Reims who need peripheral IV access and have a DIVA score of 4 or higher, with parental consent, are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Newborns under 1 month, premature neonates, patients with known vascular pathology, those on hemodialysis with an arteriovenous fistula, or children judged hemodynamically or respiratorily unstable are excluded and unlikely to benefit from this protocol.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Hospitalized pediatric patients who need a peripheral IV and meet a difficult intravenous access score threshold are randomized to have catheterization performed either by standard visualization and palpation or by ultrasound guidance from a trained nurse. State-certified nurse investigators trained in ultrasound perform the ultrasound-guided insertions when enrolled patients require IV access in participating pediatric departments at CHU de Reims. The trial compares insertion success rates and frequency of related adverse events between the two approaches. Consent from parents or legal guardians (and assent when appropriate) is required before randomization.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could increase first-attempt IV success, reduce delays and pain, and lower complication rates for children with difficult IV access.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown ultrasound guidance improves peripheral IV success in children and adults, and nurse-led ultrasound insertion has demonstrated promising results in other settings.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria : * age ≥ 1 month and \< 18 years * intravenous catheter insertion indicated for hospital care * DIVA (Difficult Intravenous Access Scale) score ≥ 4 * hospitalized in one of the pediatric departments of the Reims University Hospital * who agree to participate in the study (if old enough to understand) and for whom the consent of the holder(s) of parental authority has been obtained * affiliated to a social security scheme Exclusion Criteria: * Newborns (\< 1 month) and premature babies hospitalized in neonatal intensive care, neonatology and maternity units * Known vascular pathology * Hemodialysis with arteriovenous fistula * Unstable hemodynamic and/or respiratory clinical state according to the judgment of the medical team
Where it's running
-
Chu Reims
Reims, France Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Cindy COLLET
- Email: cindycollet88@gmail.com
- Phone: 0326787878
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.