Summary
This randomized controlled trial aims to assess the hypothesis that handheld ultrasound-guided arterial cannulation is the optimal method for conscious patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Participants aged over 45 undergoing surgery expected to last over 120 minutes and requiring an overnight hospital stay will be randomly allocated to undergo radial artery cannulation using either handheld ultrasound-guided dynamic needle position technique or palpation.
The primary outcome is first-pass successful arterial cannulation, analyzed by intention-to-treat, with secondary outcomes including adequacy/characteristics of the arterial waveform and complications within 24 hours of cannulation. The study aims to enroll 118 patients to demonstrate a doubling of successful first-pass arterial cannulation compared to the palpation approach.
The trial, approved by the NHS Health Research Authority and Health Care Research Wales, commenced recruitment in May 2022, and its findings will contribute to establishing the standard of care for arterial cannulation in patients at risk of perioperative organ injury after noncardiac surgery.
