Advanced Ultrasound Technology Helps Drive First-Stick Success for IV Insertions

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 12 Apr 2023

Image: BD Prevue II system uses connected ultrasound technology to drive more intuitive IV placement and control (Photo courtesy of BD)

A majority of hospitalized patients, over 90%, receive IV therapy through a peripheral IV catheter, accounting for hundreds of millions of patients annually. However, around two-thirds of these patients have veins that are challenging to visualize and access, leading to multiple needlesticks, vessel damage, and infiltration into surrounding tissue. Studies suggest that combining a needle-tracking system with ultrasound guidance may decrease the number of attempts and time needed for successful vessel access, potentially making vascular access procedures safer and more straightforward for both clinicians and patients. Now, a new advanced ultrasound device, featuring a specialized probe, has been developed to aid clinicians in achieving optimal IV placement.

The BD Prevue II System from Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA) offers real-time needle depth markers, addressing a critical need in IV access. The system includes the BD Cue Needle Tracking System, which provides a high-quality ultrasound image of the needle's trajectory, and is compatible with BD Cue Needle Tracking-enabled catheters. The system's clinician-friendly features aim to broaden the use of ultrasound in IV placement. For instance, the BD Prevue II System's specialized probe is designed to minimize the learning curve, enabling clinicians to use the technology without altering their current insertion techniques or field of view.

The BD Prevue II System supports BD's "One-Stick Hospital Stay" vision, which aims to reduce unnecessary needlesticks by selecting the appropriate vascular access device and successfully placing it on the first try. This vision encompasses three key aspects: using one IV line as a single access point for required therapies and blood draws, maintaining the IV line optimally to reduce the risk of complications, and ensuring the IV line does not need to be replaced and lasts throughout a patient's hospital stay.

"Difficult IV access remains far too common today, but the availability of the BD Prevue II System supports a future where every needlestick has a predefined pathway for successful placement," said Eric Borin, worldwide president of Medication Delivery Solutions at BD. "BD is advancing the vision of a 'One-Stick Hospital Stay,' and first-stick success is the first requirement to fulfill that vision. First-stick success also reduces the pain and anxiety patients often experience while undergoing multiple IV access attempts and provides clinicians with IV workflow efficiencies and confidence."

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