Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
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Comparative Study
Application of echogenic technology for catheters used in ultrasound-guided continuous peripheral nerve blocks.
Limited data exist regarding the echogenicity of perineural catheters, but visualization is crucial to ensure accurate placement and efficacy of the subsequent local anesthetic infusion. The objective of this study was to determine the comparative echogenicity of various regional anesthesia catheters. ⋯ Outcomes included visual echogenicity ranking, image quality, and scanning time, as assessed by 2 blinded investigators. The experimental catheter was found to be more echogenic than 2 of the 3 comparators.
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The purpose of this prospective study was to investigate the usefulness of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography of the pancreas for predicting postoperative pancreatic fistula occurrence after pancreatic resection. ⋯ This preliminary study showed the potential feasibility of a clinical application of ARFI elastography in preoperatively predicting postoperative pancreatic fistulas after pancreaticoduodenectomy. Investigation of this method in larger studies is needed.
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The purpose of this study was to compare sonographically guided vascular access using standard and echo-enhanced needles in a variety of tissue-simulating vascular phantoms. ⋯ Echo-enhanced needles decreased the incidence of posterior wall punctures when compared to standard needles during sonographically guided vascular access. However, there were no significant differences in other sonographically guided vascular access metrics.
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Hospital-wide survey of bacterial contamination of point-of-care ultrasound probes and coupling gel.
The purpose of this study was to determine the hospital-wide incidence of bacterial contamination of point-of-care (bedside) ultrasound probes and coupling gel at a single academic medical center to predict the risk of nosocomial spread of infection. ⋯ Bacterial contamination of point-of-care ultrasound probes and coupling gel is low at this single academic medical center and involves nonpathogenic organisms only.
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To investigate the distribution pattern of sonographically guided iliopsoas (IP) injections in an unembalmed cadaveric model. ⋯ Sonographically guided IP injections using an in-plane, lateral-to-medial technique place injectate into the IP bursa between the IP tendon and the acetabular rim. Within the limits of this cadaveric investigation, this sonographically guided 7-mL IP "bursa" injection may provide a minimum of 50% circumferential IP tendon coverage and approximately 5 cm of cephalad and caudad flow. There does not appear to be a peritendinous space deep to the IP tendon at the acetabular rim that is both outside the bursa and amenable to sonographically guided injection. Injections into the superficial aspect of the IP using 7-mL volumes may not deliver injectate deep to the IP tendon and therefore may represent a fundamentally different injection.