GUIDEWIRES & VASCULAR CATHETERS

Question 1

What is the function of the guidewires?

Answer 1

allow the safe introduction of the catheter into the vessel and selective positioning of catheters within the vascular system

Question 2

What is the construction of the guidewire?

Answer 2

flexible tip & rigid tail

Question 3

What part of the guidewire is introduced first into the blood vessel

Answer 3

flexible tip

Question 4

What are the advantages of using a solid stainless steel guidewire?

Answer 4

it reduces:
1. Tip Flaring
2. Blood clotting
3. Abrasion
4. Danger or raveling

Question 5

what are the disadvantages of using a solid stainless steel guidewire?

Answer 5

lack of versatility

Question 6

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a wrapped guidewire?

Answer 6

a - more versatile
d - can damage the vessel/catheter

Question 7

To reduce the possibility of injury, most wrapped guidewires are improved by using the ____________ coated or _________ coated wrappings

Answer 7

heparin/ teflon

Question 8

Made of stainless steel or NITINOL

Answer 8

central core

Question 9

What is the purpose of using stainless steel or nitinol in the central core of the guidewire?

Answer 9

provides turn-for-turn
torque control without compromising flexibility

Question 10

What is the distal flexible spring coil made of?

Answer 10

platinum or tungsten

Question 11

What is the purpose of using the platinum/tungsten in the DISTAL FLEXIBLE SPRING COIL

Answer 11

for enhanced fluoroscopic visualization

Question 12

Usually made up of PTFE or teflon materials with Hydrophilic Coating

Answer 12

Outer coating

Question 13

2 types of central core

Answer 13

fixed & movable

Question 14

Refers to the response of the guidewire or catheter to twisting and turning

Answer 14

Torque

Question 15

Another term for the torque device

Answer 15

torque vise/ deflector handle

Question 16

what is the torque device for?

Answer 16

Used to direct the guidewire towards the
desired arterial branch

Question 17

2 kinds of tip configuration

Answer 17

straight tip & j-shaped tip

Question 18

what is the difference between the straight tip & j-shaped tip?

Answer 18

S - measured in length
- fixed - core straight - 3cm
- movable - core straight - 10-15cm

J - measured in radius
- about 3mm to 3cm

Question 19

what are the 3 guidewire lengths?

Answer 19

Short guidewires (30-50cm)
Average Length guidewires (100-150cm)
Long Guidewires (260 cm)

Question 20

Guidewire that is usually used for percutaneous or direct vascular punctures

Answer 20

Short guidewires

Question 21

Guidewire that is used for adults undergoing selective angiography

Answer 21

Average length guidewires

Question 22

Long guidewires are used for what?

Answer 22

Used when interchanging vascular catheters

Question 23

The diameters of guidewires are
measured in __________

Answer 23

fractions of an inch or mm

Question 24

range sizes of diameters of guidewires

Answer 24

0.014” (0.35 mm) to 0.052” (1.32 mm)

Question 25

What is the most common diameter used for adults?

Answer 25

0.035" (0.89 mm) and 0.038" (0.97 mm)

Question 26

Factors to Consider in Selecting the Diameter of Guidewires

Answer 26

Needle gauge Vessel size Size of the lumen of vascular catheter

Question 27

If the guidewire does not advance smoothly, it may be because of

Answer 27

1. Tortous vessel 2. Position of needle

Question 28

Precautions when using guidewires

Answer 28

- The bevel of the needle should be positioned facing upward - Avoid cleaning the guidewire too often during the examination - Discard guidewire after each use

Question 29

A long hollow, thin tube with one to several holes at its distal end

Answer 29

vascular catheters

Question 30

purpose of vascular catheters

Answer 30

serves as a pipeline through which contrast medium can be injected

Question 31

Materials used for a vascular catheter?

Answer 31

teflon polyethylene polyurethane dacron

Question 32

Characteristics of teflon

Answer 32

- Has the lowest coefficient of friction - Has an excellent memory - can withstand high temperature

Question 33

characteristics of polyethylene

Answer 33

- Has a medium coefficient of friction - softer than Teflon - can be sterilized with cold or hot gas

Question 34

Contains the same memory, softness, and sterilization requirements

Answer 34

polyurethane

Question 35

Used in pulmonary and cardiac angiography and in obtaining cardiac pressures

Answer 35

dacron

Question 36

readily visualized under fluoroscopy, which facilitates catheter placement. Most angiographic studies use _______ catheter material.

Answer 36

radiopaque

Question 37

_________ catheters are used for visualization of air bubbles

Answer 37

radiolucent

Question 38

The outer diameter of the catheter is most commonly expressed in what scale?

Answer 38

french scale

Question 39

The French scale has an increment of approximately

Answer 39

0.33 mm or 1/3mm

Question 40

What is the rule fo the french scale

Answer 40

The smaller the scale, the smaller the millimeter

Question 41

what are the french sizes for the children when using vascular catheters?

Answer 41

3-6

Question 42

What are the french sizes of vascular catheters used for adults?

Answer 42

4-7

Question 43

Catheter shapes can be categorized into four basic shapes:

Answer 43

Straight tip, single curve, double/multiple curve, pigtail

Question 44

This ______ holed catheters are used for larger vessels

Answer 44

multiple

Question 45

Smaller vessels may require a catheter with only _____ end hole

Answer 45

1

Question 46

Advantages of the combination of end holes and side holes

Answer 46

1. Reduces trauma to the vessel 2. Enhances the mixing of contrast media with the blood. 3. It also reduces any recoil caused by jet-effect of a high-pressure injector

Question 47

Disadvantage of using the combination of end holes & side holes in catheters

Answer 47

There is an increase potential of blood clotting using multiple holed catheter

Question 48

What are the other types of catheter?

Answer 48

Guiding catheter, microcatheter, special catheres

Question 49

Catheter that is used for a variety of angiographic and interventional procedures are also available such as brockenbrough catheter, balloon catheter, and atherocath

Answer 49

special catheters

Question 50

A catheter that is placed through standard angiographic catheters to allow entry into small or tortuous arteries guided by small steerable guidewires.

Answer 50

Microcatheter

Question 51

A catheter that is used to allow safer or more secure passage of devices into the vessel

Answer 51

guiding catheter