title: Piloting a nurse-led ultrasound cannulation scheme.
abstract: Intravenous therapy has evolved to form a fundamental cornerstone of modern health care, but there are significant groups of patients in whom obtaining peripheral venous access is a difficult and drawn out process. An ultrasound guided peripheral venous access service could potentially stop multiple 'blind' attempts, and subsequent damage. A pilot scheme to look at nurse-led ultrasound cannulation was established, and its early results are presented in this article. In addition, a one-operator technique of peripheral ultrasound guided cannulation is described. A total of 28 different patients were referred on 34 occasions for ultrasound guided peripheral cannulation. A total of 33 cannulae were inserted with an overall success rate of 97%. An average of 6.4 attempts at cannulation were undertaken prior to referral and an average of 1.3 attempts were needed to place a cannula under ultrasound guidance. Sixty-nine percent of the cannulae were inserted into the veins of the anterior forearm and 12% into the basilic veins. Overall, 2D ultrasound guided peripheral cannulation is a reliable technique for obtaining vascular access on any adult patients who have already undergone multiple cannulation attempts or in those who it is thought cannulation may be difficult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Vascular Access, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Reading.
authors.forename: Esme
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D006113:United Kingdom