Transillumination facilitates coccygeal arterial cannulation in anaesthetised small-breed dogs

Arterial access in small-breed dogs is challenging, but arterial visualisation may facilitate the procedure, as evidenced in human medicine. This prospective, randomised study investigated the result of using transillumination to guide coccygeal artery cannulation in small-breed dogs.

Coccygeal artery cannulation was attempted in dogs anaesthetised with butorphanol, midazolam, propofol and sevoflurane. In 70 dogs (standard technique group [S_TECHNIQUE group]), arterial cannulation was performed using pulse palpation. In 71 dogs (transilluminating-standard technique group [TS_TECHNIQUE group]), a transilluminating device was utilised. The device was placed on the dorsal tail, and the cannula was advanced towards the dark line visible against the bright background. If the artery was not well visualised due to pigmentation, pulse palpation was used. The success rate of arterial cannulation was compared between the groups using the chi-squared test.

Arterial cannulation was significantly more successful (p < 0.001) in the TS_TECHNIQUE group (63/71 [88.7%]) than in the S_TECHNIQUE group (43/70 [61.4%]).

The number of punctures attempted and the time to cannulation were not assessed, and the procedure was only performed by veterinarians experienced in arterial cannulation.

The transillumination allows for a more accurate approach to the coccygeal artery, improving the success of arterial cannulation when combined with pulse palpation.