Background Billions of peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) are used globally each year, with 44-58% of first attempts failing. Ultrasound use for PIVC insertion has demonstrated improved first pass success, reduced attempts, and improved satisfaction. With the expansion of point-of-care and hand-held ultrasound units, there is a need to identify and explore options for clinical use.

Aim We aim to conduct a scoping review of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature to identify articles that explore the nature and distribution of research activity and current state of evidence in the adoption and use of point-of-care and hand-held ultrasound for PIVC insertion.

Methods A search using keywords and Medical Subject Headings for published and unpublished literature in English between the years 2000 to 2021 will be undertaken in electronic databases and clinical trial registry sites. Two independent reviewers will screen all titles and abstracts for eligibility and extract data from relevant articles into a standardised electronic data collection form. Quantitative studies will be classified into groups investigating similar interventions, strategies and outcomes, and data presented as descriptive statistics, as appropriate. A thematic analysis will be conducted on the information extracted from qualitative studies and findings presented using narrative synthesis.

Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval is not required for this review. The findings will be published and presented to audiences invested in peripheral intravenous cannulation success.