Anatomical relationship between the internal jugular vein and the vertebral artery: An observational study in pre-school children using ultrasound imaging.

Background And Aims: Central venous cannulation is performed in children requiring vasopressor use, long-term antibiotics, chemotherapy or parenteral nutrition. The internal jugular vein is the preferred site for cannulation. Though, there are several studies describing the relation of the common carotid artery (CCA) and internal jugular vein (IJV) in the neck, there is a paucity of data regarding the anatomical relationship between the vertebral artery (VA) and the IJV.