A-line Basics Flashcards
Can an A-line be used for a transfusion?
no
What is an A-line used for?
small blood draws to monitor hemodynamics
Why does an A-line work?
atmospheric pressure
What is used to measure the pressure in an A-line?
transdeucer
Where are the most common sites for an A-line?
radial artery then brachial and last resort is femoral
Who can place an A-line?
nurse anesthetist, anesthesiologist, and sometimes RT, MD
If a patient is on ______ drugs, an A-line may be used to monitor blood pressure
vasoactive
What kind of blood sampling is done with A-lines?
ABGs, frequent blood draws, and Q1H BS
What area on the arterial wave form shows that the transducer is picking up the right vibration?
dichrotic notch
Prior to the notch, the heart is in _______, after the dichrotic notch, the heart is in ________.
systole, diastole
Where should the transducer be placed for an A-line?
at the level of the right atrium (phlebostatic axis)
Where is the phlebostatic axis located?
4th intercostal space at the level of the right atrium
What happens to the reading of the arterial pressure if the transducer is placed too low?
artificial high pressure
What happens to the reading of the arterial pressure if the transducer is placed too high?
artificial low pressure
How many oscillations should be seen after the fast flush of an A-line?
2
What does more than 2 oscillations indicate after pulling a fast flush?
whipping, which will give a false high bp
What is happening if there is only 1 oscillation before a normal A-line wave after a fast flush?
dampening that will give a false low BP
Do you need to have informed consent for an A-line?
yes
What is the purpose of zeroing an A-line?
eliminate gravitational forces affecting pressure readings from the transducer
When is zeroing done for an A-line?
upon insertion and prn
Why would zeroing of an A-line be performed after the A-line has been placed?
questionable readings or to disconnect
What is the test where you pull the flush valve open and the transducer reads the 300mg Hg pressure from the flush bag?
square wave test
What may occur if the square wave test ends up being under-dampened?
BP reading may be falsely high
