What is an intra-arterial line?

Intra-arterial catheters (also called arterial cannulas or A-lines) are often inserted for invasive blood pressure (BP) monitoring and intravascular access for blood sampling in high-risk surgical and critically ill patients.

What is intra-arterial pressure?

Intra-arterial pressure: The pressure of the blood within an artery, the arterial pressure. Also called the arterial tension.

What is the most commonly used site for intra-arterial pressure monitoring?

Arterial lines can be placed in the radial, ulnar, brachial, axillary, posterior tibial, femoral, and dorsalis pedis arteries. In both adults and children, the most common site of cannulation is the radial artery.

Where should arterial lines be placed?

The radial artery is the most common location for arterial line placement because it is readily accessible and has a low complication rate (1). The femoral artery is also a common insertion site and is often the vessel of choice for severely hypotensive or coding patients because of its larger caliber.

How is intra arterial pressure measured?

Invasive (intra-arterial) blood pressure (IBP) monitoring is a commonly used technique in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is also often used in the operating theatre. This technique involves direct measurement of arterial pressure by inserting a cannula needle in a suitable artery.

What is a normal arterial line pressure?

Normal Ranges: Systolic Blood Pressure: 90 – 120 mm Hg. Diastolic Blood Pressure: 50 – 80 mm Hg. Mean Arterial Pressure: 70 – 100 mm Hg.

What is a femoral arterial line?

The femoral artery is an option that is often employed when radial catheters cannot be placed. It is a relatively easy artery to cannulate, and may be more accurate in sepsis when high dose pressors are used.

How long should arterial lines stay in?

Although some hospitals take out the tube and re- place it in another artery every 5 days, they can be kept in place longer safely if great care is taken to keep the site dry and clean.

Is Dicrotic notch and Incisura same?

In fact, when it is measured in the aorta the notch is called the incisura, because it cuts into the waveform. However, further down the arterial tree the incisura disappears. It is replaced by the dicrotic notch, a mutant offspring of several reflected waves, only vaguely related to the behaviour of the aortic valve.

When does Dicrotic notch occur?

The dicrotic notch would therefore be the result of a short period of backward flow of blood immediately before the aortic valve closes. Many studies support this theory and have stressed that both events occur simultaneously (14,15).

What is an intra-arterial catheter used for?

Why do we need an arterial line?

Aside from those needing frequent blood sampling, an arterial line also minimizes complications brought by repeated arterial puncture. While we already have a gist of blood pressure monitoring through intra-arterial means, there is still a lot to learn about its mechanism and how it works.

How accurate is intra-arterial blood pressure measurement?

An intra-arterial blood pressure measurement is known to provide more accurate results than the non-invasive approach, which is why it is especially recommended for patients in critical care settings.

What are the different parts of an intra-arterial monitoring system?

Generally, there are three main parts of an intra-arterial monitoring system. The monitor comes in a variety of types, depending on its application, including single pressure, dual pressure, or the multi-parameter type.