Which statement regarding the common femoral artery is true?

• A. It is illegal to access the common femoral artery in peripheral procedures.
• B. Common femoral artery is standard; radial and brachial arteries are used as alternative access sites.
• C. Radial artery is the standard site for all peripheral procedures.
• D. Only the internal jugular vein is used for arterial access in peripheral procedures.

Answer: (B)

Choosing where to access an artery for peripheral interventions hinges on getting reliable catheter control with the lowest risk of bleeding. The common femoral artery is the standard arterial access because it is a large, easy-to-palpate vessel with a relatively straight path to the central and peripheral arteries, allowing stable catheter manipulation and device delivery, and it provides a compressible site for hemostasis if bleeding occurs. Radial and brachial arteries are viable alternatives when femoral access is not ideal—such as in patients with difficult groin anatomy, prior groin interventions, or when aiming to minimize groin bleeding and bed rest. Each alternative has trade-offs: the radial approach has a smaller vessel caliber and higher risk of vasospasm and may not reach all targets; brachial access carries a higher risk of nerve or vessel injury and is less forgiving for some procedures. The other statements are not correct: accessing the common femoral artery is not illegal; radial and brachial are not the universal standard for all procedures; and the internal jugular vein is a venous, not arterial, access site.