The role of ultrasound guidance for vascular access.

Purpose Of Review: Ultrasound-guided cannulation of the internal jugular vein has become a standard practice over recent years. Despite known benefits, ultrasound is less frequently used for other vascular applications probably because these are technically demanding and require more experience. The authors of this review focus on pitfalls of ultrasound guidance: most important practical aspects as well as nonroutine vascular applications are discussed.

[Ultrasound-guided central venous access in patients with uncorrected coagulopathy].

Introduction: Correction of coagulopathy prior to central venous catheterization is a standard practice. Before ultrasound-guided procedures, routine correction of coagulopathy is controversial as mechanical complications are rare.

Aim: To evaluate the safety of ultrasound-guided central venous access in critically ill patients with coagulopathy.

[Peripheral venous access with ultrasound guidance].

Peripheral venous cannulation is a routine procedure. The method is usually easy, however, occasionally it may prove to be difficult or even impossible to perform. Ultrasound can visualize deep veins that are undetectable by palpation and it makes possible to cannulate these veins under direct visual control.

[Improving patient safety in perioperative care for major surgeries].

The Helsinki Declaration was created and signed by the European Board of Anaesthesiology (EBA) and the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA). It was initiated in June 2010, and it implies a European consensus on those medical practices which improve patient safety and provide higher quality perioperative care. Authors focus on four elements of this initiative, which can be easily implemented, and provide almost instant benefit: use of preoperative checklist, prevention of perioperative infections, goal-directed fluid therapy and perioperative nutrition.