Essential equipment: Access kits

Purpose

An access kit allows the least traumatic (i.e. smallest) initial needle puncture of the target and provides a method to convert the 22G puncture to standard 0.035-inch guidewire access.

Description

A typical set comprises:

• A one- or two-part 22G needle for the initial puncture

• A short 0.018-inch guidewire with flexible tip and supportive shaft

• An interlocked dilator system. This varies from kit to kit. Those for hepatic and renal work often come with a metal stiffening cannula in addition to a coaxial inner dilator with a tapering tip inserted through a larger outer dilator, which will accept a 0.035/0.038-inch guidewire.

Tip

Remember to remove the inner dilator to allow insertion of the 0.035-inch wire.