Summary
Intravenous cannulation can be difficult in children. Recently, new devices using near-infrared light to make blood
vessels visible have become available. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of three such devices in facilitating
peripheral intravenous cannulation in children. In this cluster randomised clinical trial, daily operating rooms at a
tertiary childrens’ hospital were randomised to the use of the VeinViewer, AccuVein AV300, VascuLuminator
Vision or to a control group. We included 1913 children between birth and 18 years scheduled for elective surgery.
Suitable veins for cannulation were more easily visible with the VeinViewer (307/322 (95.3%)) and AccuVein (239/
254 (94.1%)) devices than with VascuLuminator (229/257 (89.1%)) (p = 0.03). However, success at the first attempt
was not significantly different among groups, ranging from 73.1% to 75.3% (p = 0.93). We conclude that although
vein visibility is enhanced, near-infrared devices do not improve cannulation.