Comparative evaluation of longitudinal axis and longitudinal oblique axis approaches for ultrasound guided radial artery cannulation in adults- A randomised controlled study at a tertiary care centre

Arterial cannulation is an invasive procedure which is done in operating theatres and intensive care units (ICU) for beat to beat hemodynamic monitoring and to assess fluid responsiveness. Classically, arterial cannulation is performed by digital palpation technique. However, due to anatomical variations, cannulation by landmark technique may not always be successful. With the advent of ultrasonography, the rate of successful cannulation has increased significantly. Also, ultrasound guidance reduces the number of needle passes, time to cannulate and the incidence of associated complications. – (like hematoma formation, injuring the adjacent vein or nerve or other surrounding structures). 

USG- guided radial artery cannulation has been conventionally done by two approaches: a) Transverse/out-of-plane approach, b) Longitudinal/in-plane approach

The present study is undertaken to compare the success of arterial cannulation of the radial artery using ultrasound in LA and LOA. Our primary objective is to assess the success of cannulation in the first attempt, while the secondary objective is to assess the number of attempts, failure rate, total cannulation time and associated complications. Patients will be observed for the next 48 h for complications like hematoma, thrombosis, or infection.