Questions and Answers
guidewire - Answer--thins stainless steel wire that guides or directs a catheter into a
vessel
-almost all wires are made stainless steel and coated with Teflon
-guidewire must exceed the catheter length to prevent inadvertent loss of the catheter
during placement
-always has a rigid proximal end and somewhat flexible distal tip
-length of the guidewire should be at least 10 cm longer than the catheter selected
Moveable Core - Answer--wrapped guidewires have a __________
-inner core can be moved with the use of a *mandril* (handle) to vary the length of the
flexible tip
-provides increased maneuverability in a tortuous vessel
fixed core - Answer--stainless steel wires have a _________
- the core is attached close to the tip, helpful when working w/ sclerotic vessels
centimeters (cm) - Answer-the length of the flexible tip of the guidewire is measured in
_____________
3 to 10 cm - Answer-the flexible portion of the tip will prevent vessel wall damage and is
generally ______________ in length for a *fixed* core guidewire
10 to 15 cm - Answer-the flexible portion of the tip will prevent vessel wall damage and
is generally ______________ in length for a *moveable* core guidewire
Radius - Answer-the length of a j-shaped tip is measured by its _________, not length,
and ranges from 1.5 to 15 mm
twice - Answer-when guidewires are used are used for exchanging catheters, the length
of the wire should be _______ as long as the catheter
diameter - Answer-the ___________ of the guidewire is measured in *fractions of an
inch* and vary from 0.014" to 0.045"
lower the friction coefficient - Answer-may be coated with teflon, polyurethane,
polyethylene or a hydrophilic coating (glidewires) to ____________________ and
prevent damage to the vessel walls
Heparin - Answer-guidewires coated with _________ reduce the chance of blood
clotting and emboli formation