What must be verified to ensure an accurate arterial line blood pressure reading?

To ensure an accurate arterial line blood pressure reading, it is essential that the arterial catheter is not kinked. A kink in the catheter can create resistance to blood flow, leading to inaccurate pressure readings. When the catheter is kinked, it can cause the pressure to appear artificially high or low, depending on the nature and location of the kink. Therefore, verifying that the arterial catheter is not kinked directly impacts the accuracy of the blood pressure readings obtained from the arterial line.

While other factors, such as the positioning of the transducer and proper zeroing of the system, play important roles in achieving accurate blood pressure measurements, the integrity of the arterial catheter itself is a fundamental requirement. If the catheter is obstructed due to a kink, even other correctly performed checks may not yield accurate or reliable data.