Arterial Line Insertion for Medical Professionals

Medical Professional - Clinical

Arterial line placement is often used in the management of critically ill patients for continuous blood pressure monitoring and to allow frequent blood gas sampling.

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Arterial line placement is often used in the management of critically ill patients for continuous blood pressure monitoring and to allow frequent blood gas sampling. This module teaches you how to safely prepare for and perform the insertion of an arterial line into the three main sites. Including both Learn and Test modes, the online simulator offers eight clinical scenarios that test your ability to insert arterial lines into the radial, femoral, or dorsalis pedis artery (depending on the scenario). Practice the steps of the procedures online as often as you want, until you feel confident.

If you are not a medical student or physician, you may prefer the other version of this module which includes all the procedural information needed by professionals in other roles: /shop/clinical/medicinenursing/vascular-procedures/arterial-line-insertion

You’ll learn

pre-procedure considerations related to insertion of an arterial line
how to perform and interpret an Allen’s test
to visualize the anatomy of the main arteries of the forearm
how to prepare for arterial blood sampling
the different collection sites and when to use each
to practice and perfect your skills in inserting arterial lines into the radial, femoral, and dorsalis pedis arteries
much more (see “content details” for more specific information)

Step 1 - Preparation

Step 1.1 - Tray preparation

Step 1.2 - Patient preparation

Step 1.3 - Operator preparation

Step 2 - Cleanse the skin and infiltrate local anesthetic

Step 3 - Palpate for the pulse and insert the needle

Step 4 - Insert the catheter into the artery

Step 4.1 - Catheter-over-needle technique

Step 4.2 - Seldinger technique

Step 4.2.1 - Integrated Seldinger wire

Step 4.2.2 - Separate Seldinger wire

Step 5 - Secure the catheter

Describe pre-procedure considerations for arterial line insertion.
Describe and demonstrate the preparation for arterial line insertion.
Describe laboratory safety according to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.
Describe and demonstrate correct identification of the collection site.
Describe and demonstrate the correct technique for performing arterial line insertion.
Describe correct post-procedure considerations.
Describe correct recording and reporting procedures.
Define and use related medical terminology.
Explain the Patient Privacy Rule (HIPAA), Patient Safety Act, and Patients' Bill of Rights.

The SIMTICS modules are all easy to use and web-based. This means they are available at any time as long as the learner has an internet connection. No special hardware or other equipment is required, other than a computer mouse for use in the simulations. Each of the SIMTICS modules covers one specific procedure or topic in detail. Each module contains:

an online simulation (available in Learn and Test modes)
descriptive text, which explains exactly how to perform that particular procedure including key terms and hyperlinks to references
2D images and a 3D model of applied anatomy for that particular topic
a step by step video demonstration by an expert
a quiz
a personal logbook that keeps track of all the modules the learner has studied and how long

For more details on features and how your students can benefit from our unique system, click here.