Technical note: a quick and simple method of obtaining venous access in traumatic exsanguination

Area of Science:

• Surgical Procedures
• Vascular Access
• Emergency Medicine

Background:

• Establishing rapid venous access is critical in emergency situations, particularly in cases of traumatic exsanguination.
• Traditional methods for venous access can be time-consuming and challenging, especially when identifying specific anatomical landmarks like the saphenous vein in the groin.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a novel, simple, and highly reliable surgical procedure for achieving rapid venous access.
• To present a technique that overcomes the difficulty of locating the saphenous vein in the groin during emergency procedures.

Main Methods:

• A surgical technique involving minimal dissection and forceful separation of subcutaneous tissues to expose the saphenous vein.
• Utilizing basic surgical instruments including a scalpel, surgical ties, and intravenous (IV) tubing.

Main Results:

• The described procedure reliably reveals the saphenous vein at the base of the wound, simplifying its identification.
• Surgical residents successfully achieved IV access in under one minute in cases of traumatic exsanguination.

Conclusions:

• This rapid venous access technique is simple, reliable, and effective, particularly in critical, time-sensitive scenarios.
• The primary limitation of this method is the requirement for a longer incision compared to standard venous access procedures.