critical care medicine
How To Do Radial Artery Cannulation
Complications of Radial Artery Cannulation
Complications include Hematoma Infection Damage to the artery Thrombosis (due to the catheter itself) Nerve damage Catheter misplacement To reduce the risk of catheter-related infections, radial artery catheters should remain in place no more than 7 days and their transparent, occlusive dressings left undisturbed. Catheters should be removed as soon as they are no longer needed or if there are any signs of infection. Rare complications include Distal ischemia and necrosis Pseudoaneurysm Arteriovenous fistula Cholesterol plaque (or atheroma); air, guidewire, or catheter embolism Ischemia of the hand occurs rarely, due to thrombosis or embolism, intimal dissection, or arterial spasm. Collateral blood flow from the ulnar artery usually prevents significant ischemia. The risk of arterial thrombosis is higher in small arteries (explaining the greater incidence in women) and with increased duration of catheterization. The incidence of thrombosis and distal ischemia is much lower for femoral arterial catheterization. Occluded arteries nearly always recanalize after catheter removal. 