Based on a review of medical records at a large university hospital, which of the following best describes the risk of major vascular or neurological complications arising from perioperative arterial cannulation?
Arterial cannulation is frequently performed with anesthesia for major surgery to provide beat-to-beat blood pressure monitoring and access for intermittent laboratory sampling. Arterial cannulation is generally safe and effective, but complications have been reported. These include embolic or ischemic events, transient or permanent neurologic injury, and catheter-related infections. Previously described risk factors include the site of cannulation, the size of the catheter and the duration of monitoring.
A recent retrospective review of medical records from the Mayo Clinic described a search for complications related to perioperative arterial cannulation. More than 88,000 arterial line procedure notes were retrieved from the electronic health care record from 2006 through 2012. After eliminating arterial cannulation in pediatric patients, non-operating room cases and patients...
