Inserting an arterial line
24 March 2022
Author : Dr Jadumani Singh
Disclaimer: The information contained does not serve as a standard of medical care, this is from the author's personal clinical experience.
Trolley set up
Arterial Cannula, both a closed system with a built-in guidewire or an open system (Seldinger technique) with a separate guidewire and needle Preferably 5 cm for the radial artery, about 8-10 cm for the brachial and femoral artery A clean towel or a litre of saline/water bag to use as an anchor elevation at the wrist. Perfect for arterial line without too much stretching or bending the wrist. Clean blue towel to lay over the sheet or water/NS bag Sterile clean "Hole" disposable towel or use 2 sterile towels to cover the area. Preferably covering half of the patient side where you plan to cannulate. Two 2 ml syringes and a 26 insulin needle - need only 1-2 ml of local anaesthesia Stitches ( 2-O cotton to stitch, needle holder, scissors or thread cutter and Tegaderm-like sticking breathable bandage) or any other available dressing or per individual ICU protocol.
Preparation
During procedure
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