Hidden vein in the thigh could be a lifesaver for emergency IV access
NCT ID NCT04922606
First seen Jul 20, 2026 · Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study uses ultrasound to examine the great saphenous vein in the upper inner thigh of emergency department patients and staff. The goal is to see if this vein is a reliable and easy-to-find spot for placing an IV when standard sites on the arm or hand are not available. By mapping the vein's location and size in a broad group of people, researchers hope to give clinicians a new, potentially life-saving option for emergency care.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could establish a reliable, easy-to-find site for emergency IV access, potentially saving lives when standard sites fail.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational anatomy study, not a test of clinical outcomes. The vein may not be suitable in all patients, and real-world emergency use may differ from ultrasound mapping.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 190 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2021
- Expected to finish
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May 2045
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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Children (under 18), adults (18 to 64) and older adults (65 and over)
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: \- Pediatric and adult Emergency Department patients and employees of all ages from all areas of the emergency department or additional training sites staffed by emergency medicine residents. Exclusion Criteria: * Critically ill patients as determined by the Emergency Medicine consultant of record for the patient. * Legs not accessible due to dressing, wounds, or other factors. * Overlying cellulitis/soft tissue infection or injury. * Patients that are prison inmates and patients/patient's surrogates who are unable to give verbal consent/assent.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Mayo Clinic in Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States