The impact of two arterial catheters, different in diameter and length, on postcannulation radial artery diameter, blood flow, and occlusion in atherosclerotic patients.

Purpose: Arterial cannulation is a common intervention in anesthesia practice. However, the success rates and complications of radial arterial cannulation with 20-G or smaller catheters in patients with atherosclerosis have been underevaluated. The aim of this prospective randomized study was to compare the efficacy of and complications with 20- and 22-G catheters for radial arterial cannulation in atherosclerotic patients.

Methods: Thirty patients with atherosclerosis, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) III-IV, undergoing general anesthesia were enrolled in the study. Radial artery cannulation was performed in group 20G (n = 15) with a 20-gauge (20 x 1.1 x 33 mm; flow, 61 ml.min(-1)) catheter and in group 22G (n = 15) with a 22-gauge (22 x 0.9 x 25 mm; flow, 36 ml.min(-1)) catheter. Radial artery systolic blood flow (SBF) and radial artery diameter (RAD) were assessed by a Doppler ultrasound probe before cannulation and 24 h after decannulation for vascular complications. The number of puncture attempts, arterial blood gas samples, and manual flushes; total heparinized solution consumption; duration of cannulation; decannulated radial arterial systolic blood flow; postcannulation RAD; and vascular complications such as occlusion, hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, bleeding, and thrombosis were noted. The Mann Whitney U-test, chi(2) test, and one-sample t-test were used. Values are expressed as medians and quartiles and P < 0.05 was considered as significant.

Results: The number of puncture attempts was greater in group 20G (range, 1 to 4) than in group 22G (range, 1 to 2; P = 0.02). In group 20G patients, postoperative RAD was larger than preoperative RAD (P = 0.02) and postoperative SBF was lower than preoperative SBF (P = 0.03). In group 22G patients postoperative SBF was higher than preoperative SBF (P = 0.03), while there was no significant difference between preoperative and postoperative RAD. The occlusion rate of atherosclerotic radial arteries was 6% with the 22-gauge catheter and 26% with the 20-gauge catheter (P = 0.02).

Conclusion: A 22-gauge catheter for radial arterial cannulation in patients with atherosclerosis provides unchanged postcannulated radial artery diameter, decreases postcannulation complications, and improves the first-attempt success rate.