• Josie Acuña, Jacob Sorenson, Anthony Gades, Ryan Wyatt, Nicholas Stea, Maili Drachman, and Srikar Adhikari.
• Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
• J Ultrasound Med. 2020 Oct 1; 39 (10): 1985-1991.

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of a handheld ultrasound device for difficult peripheral intravenous (PIV) access performed by nurses and paramedics in the emergency department (ED).MethodsThis was a retrospective review at an academic medical center. Participants were ED nurses and paramedics with competence in ultrasound-guided PIV placement. Participants were asked to log their use of the handheld device when used on patients deemed to have "difficult" access and complete a questionnaire, which consisted of items related to the effectiveness and ease of use of the device. Data were collected over the course of 1 year. An electronic medical record review was performed to track the success rates and the occurrence of any associated complications throughout the hospital stay.ResultsNurses and paramedics logged a total of 483 cases in which PIV access was attempted with the handheld ultrasound device. Ninety-two percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 89%-94%) of the ultrasound-guided PIV lines attempted were placed successfully. Eighty-four percent (95% CI, 80%-87%) of the lines were placed successfully on the first attempt. In most cases (396 of 483 [82%]), no complications associated with the PIV occurred. A total of 429 questionnaires were completed over the study period. Most of the operators (84%; 95% CI, 80%-87%) stated that the handheld device was adequate to perform ultrasound-guided PIV access.ConclusionsThe handheld ultrasound device performed well in terms of usability and reliability for PIV access.© 2020 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

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