Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Peripheral venous catheter (PVC) insertion is a common intervention, conventionally performed using visualization and palpation techniques. It has been reported that the first attempt success rate can be as low as 51%. Ultrasound guidance improves the overall success rate and the success rate of the first attempt. Therefore, we performed a randomized, prospective, clinical trial to compare two different techniques of PVC insertion in the setting of an operating theatre with a focus on the first attempt success rate. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This clinical trial allocated patients scheduled for elective surgery in general anaesthesia to undergo PVC cannulation with ultrasound guidance (Group A) or to undergo PVC cannulation without the use of ultrasound (Group B). RESULTS: A total of 613 adult patients were enrolled. The success of the first cannulation attempt was significantly higher in Group A compared to Group B (Group A: 90.6%, Group B: 84.5%, P = 0.039). The overall success rate in both groups was 100%. The time needed to perform PVC cannulation was significantly lower in Group B than Group A (Group A: 406 ± 200 s, Group B: 301 ± 215 s, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found that ultrasound-guided PVC cannulation was associated with a higher first-attempt success rate than the conventional technique.