SPEAKER: Tim Spencer
ROOM: Champagne 3/4
CONTACT HOURS: 1
CRNI RUs: 2

This session will provide a comprehensive review of current evidence-based ultrasound assessment protocols designed to enhance patient safety and reduce procedural complications in venous and arterial access. Ultrasound (US) offers superior procedural advantages and serves as a platform for thorough assessment of vascular structures —evaluating vessel health, viability, size, patency, and identifying critical anatomical structures to avoid. Implementing a systematic, protocolized approach for US-guided vascular access ensures procedural safety and high success rates across clinical situations. Standardizing these protocols minimizes variability in clinical practice, provides a framework for education and training, facilitates implementation, and enables effective quality analysis. This session will cover key protocols such as Rapid Central Vein Assessment (RaCeVA), Rapid Peripheral Vein Assessment (RaPeVA), Rapid Femoral Vein Assessment (RaFeVA), and others, offering limited explanations of each to equip clinicians with the knowledge to improve performance and patient outcomes. Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to: • Describe the current evidence-based ultrasound assessment protocols and the steps involved in performing them. • Discuss the importance and relevance of using standardized assessment protocols to improve clinician performance, reduce patient harm, and enhance procedural efficiency and outcomes. • Explain the pre-procedural role in vessel and device selection, determining underlying structures to avoid, and preventing iatrogenic complications.