Critical skills and procedures in emergency medicine: vascular access skills and procedures

Ultrasound-Guided Great Saphenous Vein Access: Revisiting an Old Friend in a New Location

BACKGROUND

Early recognition of difficult intravenous (i.v.) access and use of ultrasound-guided techniques prior to multiple attempts are important steps in improving patient care in the emergency department (ED). Success rates for ultrasound-guided peripheral i.v. (PIV) cannulation are affected by depth, size of target vessel, and predictability of anatomy. The great saphenous vein (GSV) in the medial distal thigh may provide an alternative site for ultrasound-guided cannulation in cases of difficult peripheral venous access.

OBJECTIVES

Our objective was to determine the feasibility of ultrasound-guided GSV PIV placement as an alternative site for patients with difficult i.v. access.

METHODS

Participants were prospectively enrolled from a convenience sample of patients presenting to the ED in June and July 2019. Inclusion criteria were age 18 years and older, and a history of difficult i.v. access or two unsuccessful nursing staff attempts. Ultrasound-guided access was conducted with an in-plane or out-of-plane approach on the basis of proceduralist preference.

RESULTS

Twenty patients were enrolled; 1 patient withdrew consent prior to cannulation. GSV cannulation was successful in 14 (73.7%) of the 19 patients. Phlebotomy, blood transfusion, i.v. medications including norepinephrine, and i.v. computed tomography contrast medium were successfully performed via GSV access. No reported infection, thrombosis, or extravasation was identified throughout the cannulation dwell time, hospitalization, or for 72 h after discharge.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound-guided GSV PIV placement is a feasible alternative in situations of difficult i.v. access. No unforeseen complication or safety issue was identified. Blood products, medications, and contrast medium were successfully administered safely.

Intraosseous Catheter Flow Rates and Ease of Placement at Various Sites in Canine Cadavers

Objective: To compare intraosseous catheter placement difficulty, success rates, and flow rates at four different locations in canine cadavers.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Private referral center.

Animals: Eleven fresh canine cadavers.

Interventions: With owner consent, animals presenting for euthanasia were recruited. Animals received heparin (1,000 IU/kg IV) at least 5 min prior to euthanasia. After euthanasia, EZIO intraosseous catheters were placed into the ilial wing, proximal medial tibia, proximal lateral humerus, and distal lateral femur on one side of the animal. Time to catheter placement and catheter difficulty were scored for each placement site. Sterile saline was infused into each location simultaneously over 5 min, first via gravity then using 300 mmHg pressure. Animals were repositioned onto the contra-lateral side and the experiment repeated.

Measurements and Main Results: Placement was successful in 16/22 ilial, 18/22 tibial, and 22/22 femoral and humoral attempts. A post-hoc analysis revealed the ileum had a significantly greater difficulty score when compared to the femur and humerus (p ≤ 0.0001). The femur had a statistically significant faster placement time when compared to the ileum (p ≤ 0.05). Gravity infusion rates were statistically lower in the tibia when compared to humerus (p ≤ 0.01) and between the tibia when compared to the femur (p ≤0.001). Additionally, pressurized infusion rates were statistically lower in the tibia compared to the humerus (p ≤ 0.0001), the femur (p ≤ 0.0001), and the ileum (p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusions: The femur and humerus had high success rate for IO catheter placement and low placement time and difficulty scores. Pressurized intraosseous flow rates were highest in the humerus and femur. Contrary to human literature, success rates for catheter placement in the humerus and femur were higher than at other sites, suggesting the humerus and femur may be preferred sites for intraosseous catheter placement in the dog. Further investigation through a larger sample size is required to confirm these findings.

Effect of two tourniquet techniques on peripheral intravenous cannulation success: A randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

Peripheral intravenous (IV) cannulation is the most common procedure performed in the emergency department (ED). Elastic tourniquets (ETs) and blood pressure cuffs (BPCs) are frequently used for venodilation. Although BPCs lead to increased venodilation and decreased compressibility, it is unclear whether this translates into a meaningful patient-centered outcome. This study aimed to determine whether one method is superior for success on the first attempt.

METHODS

This was a prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial in the ED of a tertiary care center. A convenience sample of adult patients was randomly assigned to an ET or BPC with a cover concealing the type of tourniquet. The primary outcome was success rate on the first attempt. Secondary outcomes were number of attempts, number of providers, and rate of rescue techniques.

RESULTS

Of the 121 patients enrolled, 119 qualified for analysis. In the ET group, 42 of 59 patients (71%) had successful IV cannulation on first attempt compared with 43 of 60 (72%) in the BPC group (P = .95). The number of attempts (P = .87), number of nurses (P = .67), and use of rescue techniques (P = .32) did not differ significantly. A history of difficult IV access and site other than the antecubital vein were associated with decreased success.

CONCLUSIONS

ETs and BPCs performed similarly in providing venodilation for successful peripheral IV cannulation. History of difficult IV access and IV site are important factors in determining the likelihood of success.

Emergency Pacing via the Umbilical Vein and Subsequent Permanent Pacemaker Implantation in a Neonate

A dying neonate with congenital complete atrioventricular block underwent an emergency temporary pacing via the umbilical vein 1 h after birth. Implantation of a permanent epicardial pacemaker system was performed at the age of 10 days. During the follow-up period of 3 months, the child had been growing well with the VVIR pacemaker.

Bedside ultrasound procedures: musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal

The widespread availability of ultrasound (US) technology has increased its use for point of care applications in many health care settings. Focused (point of care) US is defined as the act of bringing US evaluation to the bedside for real-time performance. These images are collected immediately by the practitioner, allowing for direct integration into the physician's medical decision-making process. The real-time bedside diagnostic ability of US becomes a key tool for the management of patients. The purpose of this review is to (1) provide a general description of the use of focused US for bedside procedures; (2) specify the indications and common techniques used in bedside US procedures; and (3) describe the techniques used for each bedside intervention.