ICU learning pathway | Arterial line: indications, insertion, complications

Arterial line: indications, insertion, complications
Session Overview
Description
This session describes the main situations in which the use of an arterial line is indicated and those in which it is contraindicated, as well as the complications that can arise when an arterial line is used and how these complications can be managed.

By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Explain what an arterial line is
• List the indications for the use of an arterial line
• List the contraindications for the use of an arterial line
• Describe the complications associated with an arterial line
• Outline the management of the described complications
• Describe the sequential operations that make up the Seldinger technique of arterial line insertion
• Explain the reasons why each stage is conducted in this way
• Describe the differences between the Seldinger technique and the catheter-over-needle technique

Arterial lines have been in use since the early part of the eighteenth century. Here are some important milestones in their development:

• Reported in 1733: the first use of an arterial line in any field
• Mid-nineteenth century: The first recorded invasive measurement of blood pressure in a human
• Early twentieth century: The first recorded use of any invasive blood pressure measurement in anaesthesia