{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T03:29:43Z","timestamp":1784086183245,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,20]],"date-time":"2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1747699200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Department of Research and Universities of the Generalitat de Catalunya","award":["2021 SGR 00161"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021 SGR 00161"]}]},{"name":"Universitat Rovira i Virgili","award":["2021 SGR 00161"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021 SGR 00161"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nursing Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Vascular access in emergency departments (ED) is challenging for patients with difficult venous access (DIVA), causing delays and discomfort. Ultrasound-guided techniques may offer improved outcomes, making it crucial to assess their benefits, risks, and the effectiveness of validated identification systems. Objectives: To contribute new evidence regarding the effectiveness of validated tools for identifying DIVA and to assess the clinical benefits of ultrasound-guided vascular access in emergency care, and to assess their utility in arterial puncture for arterial blood gas sampling, from now on ABG, within the ED. Methods: This study follows the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) guidelines for protocol development and the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines for the conduct and reporting of the randomized clinical trial (RCT). The trial will be conducted in Spain throughout 2025. The study population will consist of 114 subjects with difficult intravenous access (DIVA), identified using the DIVA scale for individuals under 14 years of age and the A-DICAVE scale for adults, along with 80 subjects from the general surgical area (GSA). Participants will be randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to either the Control Group (CG) (traditional technique) or the Experimental Group (EG) (ultrasound-guided technique). Data collected will include sociodemographic characteristics, procedure-related variables (e.g., time required, human resources, and materials used), as well as pain levels, assessed using validated scales (EVA, FLACC, PAINAD), and overall satisfaction from both patients and healthcare professionals. Ethical approval has been obtained, and the trial will be registered as an RCT through an official clinical trial registry before recruitment begins. Results: Expected results suggest ultrasound guidance will significantly improve first-attempt success rates, reduce procedural time, enhance patient comfort, and optimize resource utilization compared to traditional techniques. Conclusions: The integration of ultrasound-guided vascular access into routine emergency protocols could enhance patient safety, satisfaction, and procedural efficiency in emergency care settings.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nursrep15050177","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,20]],"date-time":"2025-05-20T06:54:28Z","timestamp":1747724068000},"page":"177","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Comparison of Traditional and Ultrasound-Guided Techniques for Vascular Access in Patients with Difficult Venous Access in Emergency Departments: Randomized Clinical Trial Protocol"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2002-3424","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mercedes S.","family":"Peralta-G\u00e1mez","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Department, \u00c1vila Care Complex, Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de Sonsoles Hospital, Avenida Juan Carlos I, s\/n, 05004 \u00c1vila, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2494-3324","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marina","family":"G\u00f3mez de Quero C\u00f3rdoba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Nursing Department, Seu Vilafranca, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Carrera Amalia Soler, 29, 08720 Vilafranca del Pened\u00e9s, Spain"},{"name":"Research Group on Advanced Nursing (CARING)-161, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 43002 Tarragona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2052-9978","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Silvia","family":"Revert\u00e9-Villarroya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group on Advanced Nursing (CARING)-161, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 43002 Tarragona, Spain"},{"name":"Nursing Department, Campus Terres de l\u2019Ebre, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avenue Remolins, 13\u201315, 43500 Tortosa, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5527-0292","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roser","family":"Cuesta-Mart\u00ednez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Group on Advanced Nursing (CARING)-161, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 43002 Tarragona, Spain"},{"name":"Nursing Department, Campus Catalunya, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda Catalunya, 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"12","article-title":"Definiendo la v\u00eda venosa perif\u00e9rica de dif\u00edcil canalizaci\u00f3n y los factores de riesgo asociados. 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