Ultrasound-guided Versus Direct Palpation Radial Artery Catheter Insertion Among Cardiac Anesthesiologists

A Comparison of Ultrasound-Guided Versus Direct Palpation For Radial Artery Catheterization Among Cardiac Anesthesiologists

When a patient undergoes heart surgery, their Anesthesiologist will insert a tiny plastic tube, called a catheter, in the artery of the patient's wrist. This is called a radial artery catheter. A radial artery catheter allows accurate measurement of the patient's blood pressure during surgery. There are two common techniques for placing the radial artery catheter. The first is a "blind" technique whereby the Anesthesiologist feels for the pulse in the patient's wrist and places the catheter using the location of the pulse as a guide. The second technique, less commonly used, is one whereby the Anesthesiologist uses an ultrasound machine (painless to the patient) to "see" the artery, and thereby uses the ultrasound to guide the catheter placement. Our study will test the hypothesis that ultrasound-guided radial artery catheterization will have faster insertion times, with fewer complications compared with palpation-guided insertion.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients undergoing cardiac surgery
• Age 19 or older
• Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Suspected inability to comply with study procedures, including language difficulties or medical history and/or concomitant disease, as judged by the investigator
• Previous surgery at the site of proposed radial artery catheterization
• Any vascular condition that may preclude eligibility for radial artery line insertion as judged by the investigator
• Patients with ventricular assist devices
• Previous inclusion in this study