Relevance of the Allen Test before Catheterization of the Radial Artery

Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2024 Mar;59(3):196-198. doi: 10.1055/a-2265-8870. Epub 2024 Mar 21.ABSTRACTArterial catheterization is considered to be standard procedure for patients undergoing general anesthesia. The most common puncture site is the radial artery (RA), which carries a risk of RA occlusion. Several pieces of literature still recommend the performance of the Allen test (AT) to assess the circulation of the palmar arch. However, the result of the AT differs largely depending on the examiner and the test is not able to predict ischemic events correctly. Thus it appears that the performance of an AT is not mandatory before arterial cannulation.PMID:38513644 | DOI:10.1055/a-2265-8870
Source: Anasthesiologie, Intensivmedizin, Notfallmedizin, Schmerztherapie : AINS - Category: Intensive Care Authors: Source Type: research