What am I looking at?
Visual recognition
Stiff 0.035-inch support guidewire with a short floppy distal segment and a noticeably more rigid shaft than routine floppy working guidewires.
02-08
Amplatz stiff guidewire
Stiff support wire
Three-panel learning framework
Recognition, context, and distinction
What does it do, and where will I see it?
Use & procedural context
Stiff 0.035-inch support guidewire that provides a stable rail for tract dilation and advancement of sheaths, drains, or large catheters. Typical procedural contexts include tunneled dialysis catheters, drains, nephrostomy, venous access, and stent or large-bore sheath delivery.
What most clearly distinguishes it from similar devices?
Key distinctions
Compared with a Bentson-type working guidewire, the Amplatz provides substantially greater shaft support for dilation and device delivery while retaining a short flexible distal segment.