Ulnar artery versus radial artery approach for arterial cannulation: a prospective, comparative study.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the ease of cannulation, success/failure rate, and complication rate between ulnar and radial arteries.


METHODS
Randomized, controlled study.


METHODS
Operating room.


METHODS
100 ASA physical status I, II, and III patients undergoing general anesthesia and requiring arterial cannulation.


METHODS
Patients were divided randomly into two separate groups of 50 patients each according to cannulation site: ulnar artery (group U) or radial artery (group R) group.


METHODS
The presence and fullness of the arterial pulses (strong/weak/absent), ease of cannulation (cases in which cannulation was successful on the first attempt and those that which required more than one cannulation attempt), success rate of cannulation, and complications (early/late) were all recorded.


RESULTS
The radial artery was stronger in pulse (83% vs 73%). The success rates of cannulations for the ulnar and radial arteries were 82% and 90%, respectively (P > 0.05). The overall success rate of cannulation in the ulnar group with a strong pulse was 100%. There were significant differences in the success rate of cannulation between the patients with strong and weak pulses in the ulnar group (P < 0.0001). Ease of cannulation and complication rates of cannulations were not statistically different in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The success rate of an arterial cannulation in a patient with a strong ulnar pulse is the same as for radial artery cannulation.
Karacalar
Serap
S
Department of Anesthesiology, Ondokuz Mayis University School of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey. skaracalar@yahoo.com
Ture
Hatice
H
Baris
Sibel
S
Karakaya
Deniz
D
Sarihasan
Binnur
B
D015992:Body Mass Index; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017534:Radial Artery; D017535:Ulnar Artery