A-lines

In our facility, we typically use rolled up towels as an a-line support. But because towels tend to flatten out and are not consistent, we want to try a product that will save us time and give us more reliable results. We've been searching for a-line support products and have only found disposable items. Does anyone know where I can find a reusable a-line support? And for those of you using disposble items, which ones do you like and why? I'd love to have some feedback to bring to our new products committee. Thanks!

[glascow]

The ICU I work in doesn't use any type of support device.

Where I worked before we used a rolled up towel. I was suspicious of the practice of not using anything for the Aline when I switched hospitals, but have realized it really doesn't make that much of a difference.

[Zinnia]

This is a new idea for me! Unless my artline starts to be inaccurate, or positional, we don't do anything special. We try to keep the arm with the artline above the bed covers and zero and calibrate once a shift. They are usually sutured.

[zambezi, BSN, RN]

We have a hard styrofoam armboard that we use for our a lines. We use a rolled up washcloth to more correctly position the hand and make it comfortable. Depending on how the aline is positioned, we use towels to support the wrist for the best tracing. Sometimes the boards are great but they are cumbersome and it can be difficult to assess equality of l vs r if you are concerned about stroke, you have to take the board off.

[CCL"Babe", BSN, RN]

In the cath lab we have a metal slide on clip device that a free swinging metal pole is inserted into. The clip device is tightened to hold the pole in place once the patient is positioned. The transducer is secured on the pole by a reusable clip device that is positioned (ideally) for each patient. It even has an infared light so you can position it at the correct level. the pole and device can be moved out of the way for patient transfers.

The point being, maybe you can find out or adapt the tools used for cath lab tables. :)

[Circl8r]

To stabilize an a-line we use a foam backed malleable metal cockup splint, wrapped with a 3 inch kling. That is SOP in the CVOR, and seems to work well.