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Medical Monitors for the Heart and Brain

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Arterial lines (A-lines) are a monitoring device inserted into arterial vascular system that is used to assess blood pressure. A transducer in the device is used to translate the arterial pressure into electrical impulses (Kaur, 2006). It secures the most accurate and precise measurements on a continuous basis by obtaining intra-arterial pressure. These factors, over the manual and non-invasive blood pressure cuffs, makes the A-line advantageous particularly in patients that are receiving vasodilator/vasoactive infusion therapies. The tubing leading the patient also has a specialized port for ready access to arterial blood samples.
The waveform display is the interpreted reading from the transducer. The waveform reflects the accuracy and integrity of the actual blood pressure value. Impaired circulation integrity, external blood pressure devices, incorrect leveling/zeroing of the transducer, air bubbles in the tubing, and arterial stenosis can impair the arterial lines readings. Infusing intravenous fluids is contraindicated. Sterility must be maintained during application and dressing changes. It is preferable to use the patient’s non-dominant hand to decrease the chances of dislodgement, hemorrhage, and injury. The head of the patient’s must be at or lower than 60 degrees and the level of the transducer must align with phlebostatic axis to ensure accurate readings (Iversen, 2011). It is necessary to use pressured flushing solutions at 300 mg Hg to maintain patency and

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