Arrow vs. Jelco

[MTGas2B]

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Placed some a-lines today. Decided I really don't like the Arrow kits (the one with the wires) First one I tried three times with the arrow, no dice. One try with the old-school jelco, bingo.

Second time, facilitor wanted me to try placing it with the doppler on an awake patient. No luck. Jelco and palpation, perfect on the first try.

Are some of you senior residents and attendings big jelco fans?

 

[UTSouthwestern]

Placed some a-lines today. Decided I really don't like the Arrow kits (the one with the wires) First one I tried three times with the arrow, no dice. One try with the old-school jelco, bingo.

Second time, facilitor wanted me to try placing it with the doppler on an awake patient. No luck. Jelco and palpation, perfect on the first try.

Are some of you senior residents and attendings big jelco fans?

Honestly, could care less about which one. I usually just use a regular 20 gauge IV with a syringe at the end.

 

[Laryngospasm]

Honestly, could care less about which one. I usually just use a regular 20 gauge IV with a syringe at the end.

I use both, most staff I know use the jelco, because it doesnt cost 7$

 

[TIVA]

I prefer the jelco as well, with the empty syringe attached to it as UT mentioned above. I've also noticed that I've increased my success rate by rotating the needle 180 degrees (so that the bevel then points down) after the flash of blood and dropping my angle ever so slightly before spinning the catheter off the hub.

 

[ReefTiger]

When just using a syringe on an IV do you just have the plunger pulled back prior to insertion to see the flash?

 

[TIVA]

When just using a syringe on an IV do you just have the plunger pulled back prior to insertion to see the flash?

I take the plunger completely off.

 

[UTSouthwestern]

I pull it back about a cc.

 

[supahfresh]

Barash told me not to use the arrows. it makes you use too steep of an angle and costs too much. The arrow will last longer however and you'll appreciate it on your ICU rotation.

The jelco with syringe with plunger off is popular.

and getting more popular is the water stylet trick. jelco with T-piece, and 10 cc syringe filled with 5 cc saline. go thru and thru, pull back while aspirating until you get good flow. then flush while advancing catheter. works every time.

 

[VolatileAgent]

jelco, wire, done. (i admit low success rate with other techniques... never used the arrow kit, although worked a few times with the guy who invented. he's at now practicing at mt. sinai.)