title: Practice patterns in FNA technique: A survey analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain fine needle aspiration (FNA) techniques by endosonographers with varying levels of experience and environments.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey study was performed on United States based endosonographers. The subjects completed an anonymous online electronic survey. The main outcome measurements were differences in needle choice, FNA technique, and clinical decision making among endosonographers and how this relates to years in practice, volume of EUS-FNA procedures, and practice environment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 210 (30.8%) endosonographers completed the survey. Just over half (51.4%) identified themselves as academic/university-based practitioners. The vast majority of respondents (77.1%) identified themselves as high-volume endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) (> 150 EUS/year) and high-volume FNA (> 75 FNA/year) performers (73.3). If final cytology is non-diagnostic, high-volume EUS physicians were more likely than low volume physicians to repeat FNA with a core needle (60.5% vs 31.2%; P = 0.0004), and low volume physicians were more likely to refer patients for either surgical or percutaneous biopsy, (33.4% vs 4.9%, P < 0.0001). Academic physicians were more likely to repeat FNA with a core needle (66.7%) compared to community physicians (40.2%, P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is significant variation in EUS-FNA practices among United States endosonographers. Differences appear to be related to EUS volume and practice environment.
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Christopher J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: DiMaio
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Jonathan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Buscaglia
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Seth A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Harry R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Aslanian
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Sammy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Michelle K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Shireen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pais
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Felice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schnoll-Sussman
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Amrita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sethi
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Uzma D
authors.initials: UD
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Robbins
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Douglas G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.affiliation: Christopher J DiMaio, Michelle K Kim, Henry D Janowitz, Division of Gastroenterology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, United States.
authors.forename: Satish
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nagula
keywords: Diagnostic procedures and techniques; Endoscopic ultrasound; Fine needle aspiration; Fine needle biopsy