title: Ultrasound-guided needle handling using a guidance positioning system in a phantom.
abstract: The SonixGPS™ needle guidance positioning system provides navigation assistance to facilitate needle handling during ultrasound-guided procedures. Each of 20 inexperienced nurse anaesthetists performed 12 different ultrasound-guided tasks in a porcine phantom. Using both in-plane and out-of-plane approaches, they inserted a needle and made contact with metal rods at depths of 2, 4 and 6 cm. We compared their performances without and with navigation as paired observations. Using the out-of-plane approach, navigation yielded shorter execution times (26 s vs 14 s, respectively; p = 0.01) and fewer needle repositionings (8 vs 3, respectively; p = 0.001). Using the in-plane approach, the needle was more visible with navigation assistance: 24% vs 52% of execution time, respectively (95% CI: 44%-12%; p = 0.0025). Better needle visibility was associated with shorter execution times and fewer needle repositionings. Combining ultrasound-guided techniques with the needle guidance positioning system may reduce tissue manipulation, thus improving patient comfort and safety.
authors: Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
authors: L K P
authors: LK
authors: Tielens
authors: R B C C
authors: RB
authors: Damen
authors: J G C
authors: JG
authors: Lerou
authors: G-J
authors: GJ
authors: Scheffer
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Bruhn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002983:Clinical Competence; D006801:Humans; D009339:Needles; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D009719:Nurse Anesthetists / Q000592:standards; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D034421:Sus scrofa; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*