Is difficult vascular access an issue? Why is access with a traditional IV difficult?
A. IVs cannot be started in over 6 million emergency patients annually, resulting in thousands of deaths every year. In situations in which the patients’ veins collapse due to shock, low blood pressure, cardiac arrest, etc., IVs are extremely difficult to start often resulting in no vascular access or significant delays in obtaining vascular access. This issue results in difficult situations for paramedics, nurses and emergency physicians attempting to gain vascular access in life threatening situations. A significant number of central venous catheters (central lines) are placed each year, with a high complications rate, in patients for whom IV’s cannot be started.
