- Arterial lines are most commonly used in patients that:
- Need frequent blood samples for laboratory analysis (3-4 times a day)
- Are hemodynamically unstable and need constant BP readings
Statistics:
In 2014, approximately 51.4 million surgeries that were performed in the United States required blood pressure readings, which are commonly taken with arterial lines.
Data suggests that approximately one third of ICU patients receive an arterial line to monitor BP.
Most national anesthesiology societies recommend that BP is taken at least once every 5 minutes in patients under anesthesia during surgery