Ultrasound-guided arterial catheterization

Adverse events with arterial catheters in intensive care units: a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

The installation of an arterial line is one of the invasive procedures performed for hemodynamic monitoring and, even with its clear importance in intensive care, it is still an invasive procedure and liable to cause harms to the patients.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the adverse events associated with the use of arterial catheters in critically-ill patients in the world scientific production.

METHODOLOGY

The present scoping review was conducted according to the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist was used for reporting. The research question was "Which adverse events related to the use of arterial catheters in patients admitted to intensive care are more evident in the literature?". Data collection took place in the following databases: LILACS; MEDLINE; EMBASE; CINAHL, EBSCOhost; and WEB OF SCIENCE.

RESULTS

Through the search strategies, 491 articles were found in the databases. After exclusion of duplicates, peer analysis of titles and abstracts, full reading and screening of lists of references, the final sample of studies included was 38 articles. The main harms cited by the publications were as follows: limb ischemia, thrombosis, hemorrhage, accidental removal, inadvertent connection of inadequate infusion solution, pseudoaneurysm and bloodstream infection.

CONCLUSIONS

It was evidenced that patients are subjected to risks of adverse events from the insertion moment to removal of the arterial catheter, focusing on the infusion solution used to fill the circuit, the type of securement and dressings chosen, as well as the Nursing care measures for the prevention of bloodstream infection.

Acoustic Shadowing to Facilitate Ultrasound Guided Arterial Cannulation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Aim and background

Ultrasound-guided arterial catheterization is a frequently performed procedure. Additional techniques such as acoustic shadowing-assisted ultrasound may be useful in improving success rate. This systematic review aimed to assess the efficacy of acoustic shadowing assisted ultrasound for arterial catheterization.

Materials and methods

PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, EMCARE, and MedNar were searched in January 2024. Randomized controlled trials comparing the first attempt success rate of arterial catheterization using acoustic shadowing ultrasound vs unassisted ultrasound were included. Data were pooled for risk ratios (RRs) using the random-effects model. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on a single or double acoustic line. Sensitivity analysis was undertaken after excluding pediatric data. The certainty of evidence (COE) was assessed using the GRADE framework.

Results

Six randomized controlled trials (n = 777) were included. A meta-analysis found the first attempt success rate is significantly higher in the acoustic ultrasound group (n = 6, RR: 0.47, 95% CI: 0.34-0.66, p ≤ 0.00001). Hematoma formation was significantly less in the acoustic ultrasound group (n = 6, RR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.34-0.80, p = 0.003). First attempt success was significantly higher in the single acoustic line ultrasound (USG) group compared to the unassisted ultrasound group (n = 3, RR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.28-0.59, p ≤ 0.00001). Sensitivity analysis after excluding pediatric data was similar to the primary analysis (n = 5, RR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.33-0.70, p ≤ 0.00001). Certainty of evidence was "Moderate" for the first attempt cannulation.

Conclusions

Acoustic shadowing-assisted ultrasound improved first-attempt arterial catheterization success rate and was associated with reduced hematoma formation.

How to cite this article

Mishra L, Rath C, Wibrow B, Anstey M, Ho K. Acoustic Shadowing to Facilitate Ultrasound Guided Arterial Cannulation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(7):677-685.

Intraoperative haemodynamic monitoring and management of adults having non-cardiac surgery: Guidelines of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine in collaboration with the German Association of the Scientific Medical Societies

Haemodynamic monitoring and management are cornerstones of perioperative care. The goal of haemodynamic management is to maintain organ function by ensuring adequate perfusion pressure, blood flow, and oxygen delivery. We here present guidelines on "Intraoperative haemodynamic monitoring and management of adults having non-cardiac surgery" that were prepared by 18 experts on behalf of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und lntensivmedizin; DGAI).

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting difficult radial artery cannulation in adult surgical patients

Background

Radial artery cannulation is an invasive procedure commonly performed in patients in the perioperative time, in the intensive care unit, and in other critical care settings. The current study aimed to explore the preoperative risk factors associated with difficult radial artery cannulation and develop a nomogram model for adult patients undergoing major surgery. This nomogram may optimize preoperative clinical decision-making, thereby reducing the number of puncture attempts and preventing associated complications.

Methods

This was a single-center prospective cohort study. Between December 2021 and May 2022, 530 adult surgical patients were enrolled. The patients were randomized into the training and validation cohorts at a ratio of 8:2. Radial artery cannulation was performed before the induction of anesthesia. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables that were significantly associated with difficult radial artery cannulation. These variables were then incorporated into the nomogram. The discrimination and calibration abilities of the nomogram were assessed.

Results

One hundred and seventy-three (41.7 %) patients in the training cohort had difficult radial artery cannulation. Based on multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors were wrist circumference, anatomical abnormalities, BMI <18.5 kg/m2, grade II hypertension, hypotension, and history of chemotherapy and stroke. The concordance indices were 0.765 (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.719-0.812) and 0.808 (95 % CI: 0.725-0.890) in the training and validation cohorts, respectively. The calibration curve showed good agreement between the actual and predicted risks.

Conclusions

A preoperative predictive model for difficult radial artery cannulation in adult patients undergoing surgery was developed and validated. This model can provide reliable data for optimizing preoperative clinical decision-making.

Comparison of procedural time with two different ultrasound-guided approaches for dorsalis pedis artery cannulation in adult patients: A randomized trial

BACKGROUND

In adult patients, there has never been an evaluation of short-axis out-of-plane versus long-axis in-plane approaches of ultrasound-guided dorsalis pedis artery cannulation. This research was conducted to compare these two techniques to cannulate the dorsal pedis artery.

METHODS

In this trial, 128 adult patients undergoing surgery and necessitating arterial cannulation were examined. Dorsalis pedis artery cannulation was performed utilizing an ultrasound by long-axis in-plane approach (group L) or short-axis out-of-plane (group S) techniques.

RESULTS

Group S had a higher first attempt success rate than group L (46.9% vs 28.6%, p = 0.039). The S group had a lower assessment time than the L group (11.48 ± 3.07 vs 19.68 ± 2.79 s; p = 0.000). Cannulation time was higher in the S group (18.91 ± 1.92 s) compared to the L group (12.48 ± 1.61 s; p = 0.000). Nevertheless, the total procedure time was comparable between the L group and the S group (32.16 ± 2.95 vs 30.42 ± 4.07 s; p = 0.107).

CONCLUSIONS

In adults, both views of ultrasonography can be used to guide DPA cannulation. The cannulation time for the DPA in L group was less than the S group, whereas the assessment time was less in S group. The total procedure time, however, was similar between both the groups.

Patient and Technical Factors Associated with Difficult Arterial Access and Ultrasound Use in the Operating Room

Arterial catheterization enables continuous hemodynamic monitoring but has been shown to cause severe complications, especially when multiple attempts are required. The aim of this study was to explore what factors were associated with multiple attempts and ultrasound use in the operating room. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who had arterial catheters inserted at a tertiary care children's hospital from January 2018 to March 2022, identifying clinical factors that were associated with both outcomes. A total of 3946 successful arterial catheter insertions were included. Multivariable analysis showed multiple attempts were associated with noncardiac surgery: pediatric (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.30-2.51), neurologic (OR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.89-3.57), orthopedic (OR: 3.23, 95% CI: 2.27-4.55), and non-radial artery placement (OR: 5.00, 95% CI: 3.33-7.14) (all p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed ultrasound use was associated with neonates (OR: 9.6, 95% CI: 4.1-22.5), infants (OR: 6.98, 95% CI: 4.67-10.42), toddlers (OR: 6.10, 95% CI: 3.8-9.8), and children (OR: 2.0, 95% CI: 1.7-2.5) compared to teenagers, with cardiac surgery being relative to other specialties-pediatric (OR: 0.48, 95% CI: 0.3-0.7), neurologic (OR: 0.27, 95% CI: 0.18-0.40), and orthopedic (OR: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.25-0.58) (all p < 0.001). In our exploratory analysis, increased odds of first-attempt arterial catheter insertion success were associated with cardiac surgery, palpation technique, and radial artery placement. Younger patient age category, ASA III and IV status, cardiac surgery, and anesthesiologist placement were associated with increased odds of ultrasound use.

A novel track guidance ultrasound facilitates radial arterial cannulation: A prospective randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Ultrasound guidance for radial arterial cannulation is currently considered a best practice approach despite its clear advantages over the blind and palpation technique, the success rate is related to several factors, including clinician's experience and technical ability. The study aimed to explore the use of a novel track guidance ultrasound that may increase the success rate of radial arterial cannulation.

METHODS

A randomized controlled trial was conducted, in which 80 adults scheduled for elective surgery requiring radial arterial cannulation were recruited and randomly assigned to either the experimental group, which utilized novel track ultrasound guidance (group T, n = 40), or the control group, which utilized traditional ultrasound guidance (group U, n = 40). The novel track guidance ultrasound comprises a positioning track and a guided track. The radial artery could be positioned at the center of the positional track on the ultrasound image, and the direction and angle of needle are fixed and toward the center of the positioning track. The primary endpoint of the study was the first-pass cannulation success rate, while the secondary endpoints included the failure rate of cannulation, the number of radial artery punctures, the time of cannulation, and the incidence of hematoma.

RESULTS

The success rate of cannulation at the first attempt in group T (35 of 40 (87.5%)) was significantly higher than that in group U (23 of 40 (57.5%); p = 0.003). Although seven patients in Group U (7 of 40 (17.5%)) experienced failed cannulation compared to one in Group T (1 of 40 (2.5%)), the difference in failure rate between the two groups did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.06).

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of novel track ultrasound guidance has demonstrated a notable improvement in the success rates at the first attempt while reducing the frequency of punctures and cannulation times.

Ultrasound-Guided Radial Arterial Catheterization in Patients With Regurgitant and Stenotic Left-Sided Cardiac Valvular Lesions

Background. The pulse characteristics of arterial circulation might affect radial artery catheterization's success rate. Therefore, we hypothesized that the success rate of radial artery catheterization would be lower in the left-sided severe stenotic valvular lesion group than severe regurgitant valvular lesion group. Methods. This prospective study was conducted among patients with left-sided cardiac valvular lesions undergoing cardiac and non-cardiac surgery. The patients with left-sided severe valvular stenosis and left-sided severe valvular regurgitation were included in the study. Radial artery cannulation was performed using an ultrasound-guided out-of-plane short-axis approach. The outcome measures were success rate, number of attempts, and cannulation time. Result. One hundred fifty-two patients were recruited for the study, and all were eligible for final analysis. The first attempt success rate was non-significantly higher in the stenotic valvular lesion group than the regurgitant group (69.7% vs 56.6%; P = .09). Furthermore, the number of attempts (median; 95% CI) was significantly higher in the regurgitant group (1; 1.2-1.43 vs 1; 1.38-1.67; P = .04). However, it may not be of clinical relevance. Moreover, the cannulation time and the number of redirections of the cannula were comparable. Heart rate was significantly higher in the regurgitant group (91.8 ± 13.9 vs 82.26 ± 15.92 beats/min; P = .00), while the incidence of atrial fibrillation was significantly higher in the stenotic lesion (P = .00). No failure was reported, and the incidence of periarterial hematoma was comparable. Conclusion. The success rate of ultrasound-guided radial arterial catheterization is comparable in left-sided stenotic valvular and regurgitant lesion groups.

Arterial line insertion

Arterial line insertion is a common ED procedure with considerable clinician variation in preferred technique and equipment. This article aims to review some of the controversies and evidence surrounding this common ED procedure.

A Randomized Trial to Compare Ultrasound-Guided Dorsalis Pedis Versus Posterior Tibial Artery Cannulation in Neurosurgical Patients

Introduction Dorsalis pedis or posterior tibial artery is selected as an alternative to radial artery cannulation when there is no access or unsuccessful cannulation of a radial artery. This study aimed to compare the two major arteries of the foot (dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial) in terms of their ultrasound (USG)-guided cannulation characteristics in patients posted for elective neurosurgical procedures. Methods All consenting patients, 18-65 years of age, scheduled for elective neurosurgical procedures under general anesthesia requiring arterial cannulations were enrolled. The first-pass success rate, assessment time, cannulation time, total procedural time, and the number of cannulation attempts for both procedures were estimated. Results A total of 90 patients were included in the study. The assessment time, cannulation time, and total time for arterial cannulation were significantly greater in the dorsalis pedis artery group than in the posterior tibial artery group (p < 0.001). Successful arterial cannulation in the first attempt was 73.3% in the dorsalis pedis, whereas it was 80% in the posterior tibial group but comparable (p = 0.455). The successful cannulation outcome was slightly more in the posterior tibial artery group but comparable (p = 1.00). Conclusion First-pass successful cannulation rates in the posterior tibial and the dorsalis pedis artery are comparable. However, the assessment time, cannulation time, and total procedural time are higher and statistically significant for dorsalis pedis artery cannulation compared to the posterior tibial artery group.