title: The echogenicity of nerve blockade needles.
abstract: We performed a prospective, randomised study to evaluate the echogenicity of 11 regional block needles when inserted into a gel phantom at 45° in the ultrasound plane. Two hundred anaesthetists viewed in random sequence recordings of each needle as it was advanced into the phantom. Participants scored the needle for echogenicity on a scale of 0-10 and categorised the needle as 'hyperechoic' or 'standard'. The mean (95% CI) echogenicity score was 1.7 (1.4-2.0) units higher for three needles marketed as 'hyperechoic' compared with standard needles marketed by the same companies, p < 0.001. The odds ratios (95% CI) that an anaesthetist would categorise a needle as hyperechoic were: 5.3 (3.6-8.0) if the needle was marketed as hyperechoic, p < 0.001; and 1.7 (1.1-2.6) if regional anaesthetic experience was ≥ 1 year compared with < 1 year, p = 0.025.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Institut Claudius Regaud, IUCT-O, Toulouse, France; Pharmacoepidemiology Research Unit, INSERM 1027, University of Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fuzier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casalprim
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bataille
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Magues
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D009339:Needles; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*