title: Ultrasound visibility of regional anesthesia catheters: an in vitro study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ultrasound subjective visibility of in-plane needles is correlated with the intensity difference between the needle surface and the background. Regional anesthesia catheters are difficult to visualize by an ultrasound. In the present study, we investigated the ultrasound visibility of the catheters.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six catheters were placed at 0° and 30° relative to and at a depth of 1 cm below the pork phantom surface. Ultrasound images of in-plane catheters were evaluated, subjectively and objectively. Outer and inner objective visibilities were defined as the difference in the mean pixel intensity between the catheter surface and adjacent background, and between the surface and the center of the catheter, respectively. Evaluations were made based on the portion of the catheters. A P value < 0.05 was considered significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjective visibility was more strongly correlated with the inner objective visibility than with the outer objective visibility at both angles. Metallic 19-gauge catheters were more subjectively visible than the non-metallic 20-gauge catheters at 30° degrees (P < 0.01). Subjective, and outer and inner objective visibility were significantly lower at 30° than at 0° (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, P = 0.02). Perifix ONE at 0° and Perifix FX at 30° were the most visible catheters (P < 0.01 for both).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjective visibility of catheters can not be evaluated in the same manner as that of the needles. For the best possible visualization, we recommend selecting a catheter with a structure that enhances the dark at the center of catheter, rather than basing the catheter selection on the bore size.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takatani
authors.forename: Naozumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeshima
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Uchino
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Noguchi