Pilot Study of the Impact of a Head-Mounted Display and Probe Fixation for Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation

Ultrasound is an efficient and effective technique to aid intravenous cannulation, in which good hand-eye coordination is crucial. To reduce the difficulty, the ultrasound image should be projected and visible in front of the practitioner during cannulation, and the probe should be stabilized on the target vein. The current study investigates the impact of a head-mounted display and probe fixation for ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous cannulation success and time needed to successful insertion. This nonclinical pilot study included 49 nurse anesthetists. They were divided into an intervention group (cannulation with a head-mounted display and probe stabilizer for ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous cannulation, n = 24) and control group (conventional method of ultrasound-guided cannulation, n = 25). Participants performed 20 procedures each on phantoms, with focus on first attempt cannulation success and time taken to completion of successful cannulation. In the intervention group, 98% succeeded on their very first attempt at cannulation, compared to 52% in the control group (P < 0.001). Time to successful cannulation on the first attempt was 1.13 ± 0.4 minutes in the intervention group, compared with 1.69 ± 0.8 minutes in the control group (P = 0.003). Overall, first attempt cannulation success was 92% in the intervention group and 90% for the control group (P = 0.359). Times required for successful cannulation was reduced by 0.08 minutes in the intervention group (P < 0.001). This pilot study is the first describing the use of a head-mounted display and probe fixation for ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous cannulation, which resulted in an increased success rate and decreased time to cannulation success.