An introducer catheter for obtaining access to a blood vessel includes a hollow needle with a beveled tip extending from a needle hub as well as a flexible sheath slidingly positioned over the needle. The needle hub includes an actuator configured to rotate the needle tip by about ½ of a turn upon reaching the target vessel. Rotation of the needle tip allows a more confident motion of advancing the sheath further into the vessel to secure the sheath therein. The introducer catheter of the invention is designed to increase success rate of vessel access using minimal number of needle punctures and to decrease the rate of vascular complications, especially in vulnerable patients such as children.
