Interest of a Skin Transilluminator (Such as the VeinViewer®Vision Device) for Peripheral Venous Catheter Placement in the Obese Patient: a Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study

Placement of a peripheral venous catheter (PVC) is the most common invasive procedure in anaesthesia and perhaps even in the field of medicine as a whole. This procedure may be challenging in the obese patient - even for the most experienced healthcare professionals.

In a study, PVC placement was considered to be difficult in 46% of obese patients but only 13% of non-obese patients.

Placement of a central venous catheter is an option when PVC placement is impossible, although central access is associated with a non-negligible risk of complications (pneumothorax, infection, arterial puncture, etc.).

Facilitating peripheral venous access in obese patients should shorten the time required for PVC placement, decrease the number of perfusion attempts (a source of dissatisfaction and discomfort for the patients) and limit the use of a central venous catheter.

Although a number of novel vein visualisation devices (such as the VeinViewer®Vision from Christie Medical) have been developed to guide PVC placement, there are no literature data on the value of these devices in the management of difficult venous access in obese patients.