With millions of procedures annually involving either central venous catheters or peripherally inserted central catheters, vessel health and preservation has become a critical healthcare issue. According to the CDC, selection of the right device inserted into the right location is paramount to reducing complications, specifically infection1 and is the driving force behind the guidelines established by IHI2 in regard to vascular access selection.

Arterial catheterization is used frequently for continuous blood pressure monitoring and access to the arterial circulation to obtain frequent blood gas measurements. Technological advances have improved catheter design and recent guidelines for site selection, use, care, maintenance and insertion techniques have reduced insertion-related complications.