What we missed in FOAM Sept 2017

 

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EM procedures

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Kavish Chandra, R3 FMEM, Dalhousie University, Saint John, New Brunswick

 

 

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The “Easy IJ”

The “easy IJ”, a quick solution for difficult intravenous access?

Resident Clinical Pearl (RCP) – September 2017

Kavish Chandra, R3 FMEM, Dalhousie University, Saint John, New Brunswick

Reviewed by Dr. David Lewis

The importance of intravenous (IV) access is something seared in the mind of every practicing emergency department physician. Over the years, central intravenous access for difficult IV access has been obviated by the intraosseous drill and line. Furthermore, we just see and do less central IV lines. The likely reasons for this are that running vasopressors in peripheral intravenous (IV) lines is becoming more accepted as well as the increased time associated with placing a fully sterile central line (draping, etc.) as well as the risks of the over-the-wire procedure (infection, deep vein thrombosis, cardiac arrhythmias).

Enter the internal jugular vein catheterization using a peripheral IV catheter1, which is placed under a limited sterile environment. Is the 5 minutes to establish access that “easy” when peripheral access and external jugular catheterization has failed?

The materials required:

  1. US machine with high-frequency linear transducer probe
  2. Chlorhexidine swab
  3. 4.8-cm, 18-gauge single lumen catheter
  4. Two bio-occlusive adherent dressings
  5. Sterile ultrasound jelly
  6. A loop catheter extension
  7. A saline flush

Figure 1. Visual diagram of required materials for the “easy IJ”, adapted from Moayedi et al. (2016).

 

The steps:

  • Place your patient in the Trendelenburg position or instruct them to perform a Valsalva maneuver
  • The needle is inserted into the skin at approximately 45 degrees
  • Ultrasound is used to confirm real-time placement out of plane, followed by in-plane visualization to see the catheter in the vessel lumen
  • See this video for a demonstration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjSmbUWXznY

 

 

 

What does the evidence say2?

  • When studied in stable emergency department patients when peripheral or external jugular venous access was unsuccessful, the success rate of this procedure was 88% (95% CI 79-94)
  • The mean time to procedure completion was 4.4 minutes (3.8-4.9)
  • In 83 access attempts, there were no cases of pneumothorax, infection or arterial puncture
  • There was a 14% loss of IV patency immediately after insertion
  • Painful? Don’t forget, these lines were placed without local anesthesia; however, the mean pain score was 3.9 out of 10 (3.4-4.5)

Practical considerations:

So will this technique change your practice? A few things to be aware of:

  • In obese patients, the target vessel will be inherently more difficult to visualize, as well as the catheter length in this study may not be long enough to ensure patency. The median BMI in the Moayedi et al. (2016) study was 27
  • Operator skill: the vast majority of lines were placed by clinicians experienced in ultrasound guided line placement. Success and time to placement may be increased as experience decreases
  • Will more definitive access be required? The catheters placed in this study were largely only used for 24 hours. This would certainly be more than sufficient during the treatment of an ED patient, but usage time increases, infection rates will likely increase
  • Will this line achieve the infusion rate you need? See this article on infusion rates of various IV catheters

 

The bottom line: the “easy IJ” is a rapid, effective and safe alternative to establish IV access in stable patients in whom peripheral and external jugular venous attempts have failed.

 

References

(1) Teismann NA, Knight RS, Rehrer M, Shah S, Nagdev A, Stone M. The ultrasound-guided “peripheral IJ”: internal jugular vein catheterization using a standard intravenous catheter. J Emerg Med 2013 Jan;44(1):150-154.

(2) Moayedi S, Witting M, Pirotte M. Safety and Efficacy of the “Easy Internal Jugular (IJ)”: An Approach to Difficult Intravenous Access. J Emerg Med 2016 Dec;51(6):636-642.

 

 

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