概述
Establishing vascular access is one of the most common procedures carried out in the emergency
department (ED) and a high priority for the care of a critically ill and unstable patient. The condition of
the patient often plays a role in the likelihood of attaining vascular access. Conditions associated with
difficult vascular access include obesity, chronic illness, hypovolemia, intravenous (IV) drug abuse, and
vasculopathy (Blavias & Lyon, 2006; Chinnock, Thornton, & Hendey, 2007; Costantino, Parikh, Satz, &
Fojtik, 2005; Miles, Salcedo, & Spear, 2011; Nafiu, Burke, Cowan, Tutuo, Maclean, & Tremper, 2010).
Patients with difficult IV access are frequently subjected to repeated attempts by multiple practitioners.