Patients admitted to our hospital should, by policy, have no more than two attempts at peripheral cannulation by any one individual, after which senior staff members are notified. If senior staff attempt and fail, then the DiVA pathway is activated.

What happens if you can't get IV access?

If they haven't been able to get a line in, then you will most likely have to go for a deeper vein, and thus you want a longer IV catheter, minimum 1 ¾ inches (4.45 cm), so that you can get more of the catheter in the vein.

What is difficult cannulation?

Difficult cannulation is defined as a situation where the endoscopist, using his/her regularly used cannulation technique, fails within a certain time limit or after a certain number of unsuccessful attempts. Different methods have been developed to manage difficult cannulation.