Statistical estimation of deltoid subcutaneous fat pad thickness: implications for needle length for vaccination.

Current US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention intramuscular injection needle length guidelines for injection fo the deltoid muscle are based on weight and gender. The aims of this study are (1) to evaluate whether other biometric data (age, gender, height, weight and body mass index (BMI)) are better predictors of the thickness of the deltoid subcutaneous fat pad (DSFP) than weight and gender and (2) to evaluate the performance of the CDC weight-based needle length guidelines. This was a retrospective single center cohort study of 386 patients who underwent surveillance PET/CT between 01/01/2020 and 04/01/2021. Patient age, gender, height, weight, BMI and CT measurements of the DSFP were evaluated. DSFP was positively correlated with weight and BMI in men (r = 0.67, P < 0.001; r = 0.74, P < 0.001) and women (r = 0.69, P < 0.001; r = 0.75, P < 0.001) respectively. DSFP was negatively correlated with age in women (r = - 0.19, P = 0.013). Age and BMI were better predictors of DSFP than weight. The best model to predict the DSFP is: [Formula: see text] A 1-inch needle is expected to reach the deltoid in 85.3% of women less than 200 pounds, and 98.6% of men less than 260 pounds. This rate differed between genders (P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) 0.08, 95% CI (0.02, 0.29)). A 1.5-inch needle is expected to reach the deltoid in 76.7% of women greater than 200 pounds, and 75.0% of men greater than 260 pounds. Current CDC deltoid intramuscular injection needle length guidelines result in women and obese individuals being more likely to receive subcutaneous injections. Age and BMI based guidelines for needle length selection are more accurate.

Effect of needle diameter on pain during oocyte retrieval-a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To study pain in women undergoing oocyte retrieval with a reduced needle (20/17 gauge) compared to a standard needle (16 gauge). DESIGN: Single-center randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Fertility clinic. PATIENTS: Women undergoing their first oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. INTERVENTIONS: Oocyte retrieval with a reduced needle (20/17 gauge) or with a standard needle (16 gauge). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was intraoperative pain on an 11-point visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcome measures included the following: dosage of fentanyl requested; pain at 5, 15 and 30 minutes after retrieval; and pain and analgesia until 4 days after retrieval. RESULTS: A total of 47 women were randomized for the reduced needle (RN) and 48 for the standard needle (SN). Pain scores were significantly lower during and after retrieval with the RN. During retrieval, mean VAS scores in the RN group were 4.3 versus 6.3 in the SN group. Pain remained significantly lower in the RN group after retrieval, with VAS-scores of 1.2 vs. 2.1 directly after retrieval, 0.0 versus 2.0 5 minutes after retrieval, and 0.0 versus 1.0 30 minutes after retrieval. In the RN group, three patients (6.4%) requested more fentanyl during the procedure, versus 16 (33.3%) in the SN group. A total of 79 patients submitted their follow-up questionnaire (response rate 83%). Pain on the first 2 days following retrieval was significantly less in the RN group, with VAS scores of 1.6 versus 2.4 in the SN group, and 1.2 versus 2.5. In line with this finding, fewer patients in the RN group took analgesia on the days after the procedure. This difference was statistically significant only on day 3. CONCLUSION: Use of a thinner needle results in significantly and clinically relevant lower pain scores during oocyte retrieval, and patients in the reduced needle group requested significantly less analgesia during oocyte retrieval than patients in the standard needle group. Pain scores remained significantly lower up until 2 days after the procedure. DUTCH TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NTR6064 (www.trialregister.nl).

Cricothyroidotomy needle length is associated with posterior tracheal wall injury: A randomized crossover simulation study (CONSORT).

BACKGROUND: Cricothyroidotomy is the final strategy in the "cannot intubate, cannot oxygenate" scenario, but half of needle cricothyroidotomy attempts result in failure. The most frequent complication in needle cricothyroidotomy is posterior tracheal wall injury. We hypothesized that needle length is related to posterior wall injury and compared needle cricothyroidotomy with a commercial kit to a modified shorter needle to evaluate success and posterior wall injury rates. METHODS: The commercial kit has a needle stopper to prevent posterior wall injury, with a penetrating length of 25 mm. We made long stopper to shorten the length by 5 mm (net 20 mm penetrating length). Residents were recruited, received a lecture about cricothyroidotomy and practiced needle cricothyroidotomy using the commercial kit on a simulator. They then performed cricothyroidotomy using the commercial kit or the shorter needle on an ex-vivo porcine larynx covered with artificial skin. An intra-tracheal endoscope recorded the procedure. The video was evaluated for success/failure or posterior wall injury by independent evaluators. Larynxes with a distance from the outer surface to the inner lumen exceeding 13 mm were excluded. The distance in each larynx was measured by dissection after the study. Success and posterior wall injury rates were analyzed using Fisher exact test (P < .05 was statistically significant). RESULTS: Forty-seven residents participated in the study. Data for two residents were excluded. There was no statistically significant difference in success rate between the commercial kit (100%, 45/45) and the shorter needle (91%, 41/45, P = .12). Failure was defined if the needle tip did not reach the lumen in four trials. Cannulated but complicated by posterior wall injury occurred in 33% (15/45) with the commercial kit and 5% (2/43) with the shorter needle (P < .01). CONCLUSION: During needle cricothyroidotomy, force is needed for the needle to penetrate the cricothyroid ligament. The advancing needle sometimes cannot be stopped after penetrating the cricothyroid ligament. These data suggest that needle length is associated with posterior wall injury.

Predictors of bleeding complications following percutaneous image-guided liver biopsy: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: Percutaneous tissue biopsy is a mainstay of diagnostic and interventional radiology, providing a minimally invasive method for diagnosing malignant and benign disease. The purpose of this review was to collect and summarize the best available evidence regarding the risk factors associated with bleeding complications in image-guided liver biopsy. METHODS: A literature review was performed, searching Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health (CADTH) databases for any studies evaluating bleeding complications in image-guided liver biopsy. A total of 68 articles, published between January 1994 and April 2015, were reviewed in full, with 34 ultimately eligible for inclusion in the review. RESULTS: Bleeding of any kind occurred in up to 10.9% of image-guided liver biopsies, with major bleeding episodes ranging from 0.1% to 4.6% and minor bleeding events occurring in up to 10.9% of biopsies. The overall rate of bleeding was, however, found to be less than 2%. Several risk factors (patient, operator, and procedure-related) were identified as potentially indicative of an increased risk of post-biopsy bleeding. Patient-related risk factors included patient age (>50 years or <2 years), inpatient status (8/12 vs. 4/12, P < 0.001), comorbidities and/or concurrent diagnoses and coagulation status (rate of bleeding was 3.3% for international normalized ratio [INR] 1.2-1.5 vs. 7.1% for INR >1.5, P < 0.001). There was no consensus on impact of operator experience (>200 biopsies/year vs. <50/year) on post-biopsy bleeding rate. Procedure-related risk factors included needle size (cutting biopsy vs. fine needle aspiration, P < 0.001) and the presence of a patent track on post-biopsy ultrasound (P < 0.001). Lastly there was no difference found between targeted vs. nontargeted biopsies and number of needle passes. CONCLUSION: Reported rate of post-biopsy bleeding ranges between 0% and 10.9%, although the vast majority of studies reported bleeding rates under 2%. Several patient, operator, and procedure-related risk factors are associated with a higher risk of bleeding following liver biopsy.

Recent advances in microneedle-based drug delivery: Special emphasis on its use in paediatric population.

Transdermal drug delivery offers several attractive advantages over the traditional oral and parenteral routes. Particularly, in case of paediatric patients, it helps to overcome the issues specific to this population, such as difficulty in swallowing and palatability of oral medicines as well as fear and pain associated with needles. However, due to the formidable barrier characteristic of the stratum corneum, it fails in the effective systemic delivery of broad range of therapeutic molecules, especially macromolecules and genetic material. Over the last two decades, microneedle technology has been portrayed as a strategy to infringe the stratum corneum, in a minimally invasive manner, and enable the successful passage of molecules by creating transient channels across the skin. There has been an exponential surge in the number of studies exploring the design, development and fabrication of microneedles. This article reviews the evolution of microneedle technology and provides a comprehensive summary of microneedle research to date. It provides a detailed overview of the microneedle types, advanced fabrication strategies including the biodegradability and compatibility of the new materials used in fabrication. Research on microneedle-mediated paediatric drug delivery as well as insights on the application of this novel technology has been discussed. The up-to-date progress in clinical translation of microneedles and the regulatory requirements for their commercialization are highlighted along with a brief perspective on the future prospects of microneedle-mediated paediatric drug delivery. This review proposes that advanced research can further contribute to the improved therapeutic efficiency of microneedle-based delivery of numerous molecules, which are otherwise difficult to administer via the conventional transdermal delivery mechanisms.

Todo empezó con un enojo. La nueva aguja de punción de acceso vascular Cutneedle(R) / It all started with an annoyance. The new vascular access needle. Cutneedle(R)

No disponible

Usage of low dead space syringes and association with hepatitis C prevalence amongst people who inject drugs in the UK.

INTRODUCTION: Syringes with attached needles (low dead space syringes [LDSS]) retain far less blood following injection than syringes with detachable needles (high dead space syringes [HDSS]). People who inject drugs (PWID) who share needles/syringes may be less likely to acquire Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection using LDSS, compared with HDSS, but data are limited. METHODS: Utilizing drug behavior and HCV antibody testing data from the UK 2014/2015 Unlinked Anonymous Monitoring Survey of PWID, we calculated the percentage of syringes used in the past month that were LDSS. We investigated which injecting characteristics and demographic factors were associated with 100% LDSS (against 0-99%) usage, and whether 100% LDSS use was associated with antibody HCV-status, after adjusting for confounders. RESULT: Of 2174 participants, 55% always used LDSS, 27% always used HDSS, and 17% used both LDSS and HDSS. PWID that had injected into their groin during the past month were unlikely to use LDSS, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.14 (95% confidence interval 0.11-0.17), compared to those not using the groin. Those injecting crack were less likely to use LDSS than those not, aOR 0.79 (0.63-0.98). Polydrug use was negatively associated with LDSS use, aOR 0.88 (0.79-0.98) per additional drug. LDSS use was associated with lower prevalent HCV among all PWID (aOR 0.77, [0.64-0.93]), which was stronger among recent initiates (aOR 0.53 [0.30-0.94]) than among experienced PWID (aOR 0.81 [0.66-0.99]). DISCUSSION: People who inject into their groin were less likely to use LDSS. Exclusive LDSS use was associated with lower prevalence of HCV amongst PWID that started injecting recently, suggesting LDSS use is protective against HCV.

Use of an Additional 19-G EBUS-TBNA Needle Increases the Diagnostic Yield of EBUS-TBNA.

BACKGROUND: Although endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has an excellent diagnostic yield, there remain cases where the diagnosis is not obtained. We hypothesized that additional sampling with a 19-G EBUS-TBNA needle may increase diagnostic yield in a subset of cases where additional tissue sampling was required. METHODS: Indications for use of the 19-G needle following 22-G sampling with rapid on-site cytologic examination were: (1) diagnostic uncertainty of the on-site cytopathologist (eg, nondiagnostic, probable lymphoma, etc.), (2) non-small cell lung cancer with probable need for molecular genetic and/or PD-L1 testing, or (3) need for a larger tissue sample for consideration of inclusion in a research protocol. RESULTS: A 19-G EBUS-TBNA needle was utilized following standard sampling with a 22-G needle in 48 patients (50 sites) during the same procedure. Although the diagnostic yield between the needles was equivalent, the concordance rate was only 83%. The 19-G determined a diagnosis in 4 additional patients (8%) and provided additional histopathologic information in 6 other cases (12%). Conversely, in 3 cases (6%) diagnostic information was provided only by the 22-G needle. Compared with 22-G EBUS-TBNA alone, sampling with both the 22- and 19-G EBUS needles resulted in an increase in diagnostic yield from 92% to 99% (P=0.045) and a number needed to sample of 13 patients to provide one additional diagnosis. There were no significant complications. CONCLUSION: In select cases where additional tissue may be needed, sampling with a 19-G EBUS needle following standard aspiration with a 22-G needle results in an increase in diagnostic yield.

Comparison of Sample Adequacy and Diagnostic Yield of 19- and 22-G EBUS-TBNA Needles.

BACKGROUND: The 2016 CHEST consensus guidelines recommend use of either 21- or 22-G needles for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). We decided to prospectively compare sample adequacy and diagnostic yield of the 19-G with the 22-G EBUS needle, hypothesizing that a larger gauge difference might magnify the differences between 2 needle sizes. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients undergoing EBUS-TBNA at our institution were evaluated. All cases were performed by a single operator formally trained in interventional pulmonology. Both Olympus 19- and 22-G needles were used at each lymph node station in an alternating manner. Rapid on-site cytology evaluation was used and a separate cell block was prepared for each needle at each station. RESULTS: Fifty-six lymph nodes were analyzed. Diagnoses included cancer (36%, including 1 lymphoma), reactive lymphoid tissue (53%), and sarcoidosis (11%). One hundred sixty-two and 163 passes were made with the 22- and 19-G needle, respectively. Sample adequacy was 73% and 46% with the 22 and 19-G needle, respectively (P<0.001). Significantly fewer passes were bloody with the 22-G compared with the 19-G needle (19% vs. 59%; P<0.001). Diagnostic yield was not different between the 22- and 19-G needles (95% vs. 93%; P=0.62). CONCLUSION: In addition to no difference in diagnostic yield, the 19-G needle yielded samples that were frequently less adequate and more often bloody compared with the 22-G needle. Despite the larger caliber lumen, we conclude that the 19-G needle does not confer a diagnostic advantage.

Tumor Needle Tract Seeding Following Percutaneous Vertebroplasty.

Metastatic vertebral compression fractures pose a significant clinical problem to cancer patients including pain, spinal deformity, and neurologic deficit. Treatment of metastases to the spine is complex and challenging and may require local and systemic therapies. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) was adopted to treat spinal metastases since its introduction during the late 1980s. The main indications for PVP in the treatment of spinal metastases are analgesia and spinal stabilization. Complications of PVP in malignant compression fractures are more common than in nonmalignant ones. We present 1 case of tumor seeding along the needle tract of a breast cancer patient who had undergone PVP.

Twenty Thousand Needles Under the Sea. Trigger Point Dry Needling Aboard an Israeli Navy Submarine: A Case Report.

Nonspecific lower back pain affects a major part of the population at a certain point of their life. The intensity of pain can be debilitating and it causes a significant burden on society. Trigger point dry needling is a method of alleviating such pain by the introduction of needles into trigger points in muscles. A growing body of evidence supports its use in myofascial pain and specifically lower back pain. Submarine Medicine is a unique field due to the special characteristics and the environment of the submarine. It poses challenges that are not always seen by primary care physicians. Here, we present a case of a 40-yr-old senior submarine officer who complained of pain in his lower back and pelvis before departing on a mission. The pain persisted in spite of treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and he was then treated by the submarine's physician with trigger point dry needling. The officer showed rapid improvement following this treatment, both regarding pain and the range of motion.

Robot-assisted needle insertion for venous catheterization / Injeção-robô para cateterismo venoso

Vein access can be challenging for a variety of patients. The development of robots-assisted central or peripheral veins puncture would facilitate life of health professionals and patients. New robots are under development for this purpose and probably they will become available for practical use in the near future. These techniques may decrease significantly the cost of medicine, which currently uses less informatics resources than other industries.

O acesso venoso pode ser difícil em muitos pacientes. O desenvolvimento de robôs com capacidade de puncionar veias centrais ou periféricas pode facilitar a vida dos profissionais de saúde e dos pacientes. Novos robôs estão sendo desenvolvidos para essa finalidade e, provavelmente, entrarão em uso na prática clínica em um futuro próximo. Técnicas como estas poderão baixar progressivamente o custo em medicina, que, atualmente, tem usado menos recursos de informática que outras áreas.

Robot-assisted needle insertion for venous catheterization.

Vein access can be challenging for a variety of patients. The development of robots-assisted central or peripheral veins puncture would facilitate life of health professionals and patients. New robots are under development for this purpose and probably they will become available for practical use in the near future. These techniques may decrease significantly the cost of medicine, which currently uses less informatics resources than other industries.

Impacto del calibre de las agujas en la calidad de la hemodiálisis / Impact of the needle gauge in the quality of hemodialysis

Introducción: El flujo de sangre es uno de los factores íntimamente relacionado con la eficacia de la diálisis. Flujos altos de sangre se asocia a mejor calidad de diálisis y para ello, se recomienda el uso de agujas de gran calibre. Objetivo: Analizar el efecto del calibre de las agujas utilizadas en la punción de las fístulas arteriovenosas, así como, examinar su impacto en la percepción del dolor y en el tiempo de coagulación tras su retirada al finalizar la sesión. Material y método: Se ha llevado a cabo un estudio transversal. Se han recogido datos utilizando para la punción de la fístula arteriovenosa agujas de calibre 15G y 16G. Las variables recogidas han sido velocidad de bomba, flujo efectivo, Kt/V, presión venosa, duración de la sesión, tensión arterial sistólica, tensión arterial diastólica, recirculación, grado de dolor y tiempo de coagulación. Además, se han recogido las variables edad, sexo y localización del acceso vascular. Resultados: En 52 fístulas analizadas se ha encontrado diferencias estadísticamente significativas en el uso de los distintos calibres de aguja en las variables flujo de sangre efectivo, presión venosa y duración de la sesión. Discusión: Los resultados de nuestro estudio nos permiten recomendar el uso de aguja 15G ya que nos permitirán utilizar altos flujos de sangre sin generar morbilidad para el paciente, permitiendo alcanzar la dosis de diálisis recomendada en menos tiempo de tratamiento (AU)

Introduction: Blood flow is a factor closely related to the dialysis efficacy. High blood flows are associated with better quality of dialysis and therefore the use of large needle gauge is recommended. Objective: Analyze the effect of gauge needles in the puncture of arteriovenous fistulas and examine its impact on the perception of pain and bleeding time after his retirement at the end of the session. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected using 15G and 16G needles to puncture the arteriovenous fistula. The variables are pump speed, effective flow, Kt/V, venous pressure, session length, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, recirculation, degree of pain and clotting time. In addition, we have collected the variables age, sex and location of the vascular access. Results: In 52 analyzed fistulas found statistically significant differences in the use of different needle gauges in the variables effective blood flow, venous pressure and duration of the session. Discussion: The results of our study allow us to recommend the use of 15G needles because they will allow us to use high blood flows without generating morbidity for the patient, allowing reaching the recommended dose of dialysis treatment in less time (AU)

Future robotic platforms in urologic surgery: recent developments.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review recent developments at Vanderbilt University of new robotic technologies and platforms designed for minimally invasive urologic surgery and their design rationale and potential roles in advancing current urologic surgical practice. RECENT FINDINGS: Emerging robotic platforms are being developed to improve performance of a wider variety of urologic interventions beyond the standard minimally invasive robotic urologic surgeries conducted currently with the da Vinci platform. These newer platforms are designed to incorporate significant advantages of robotics to improve the safety and outcomes of transurethral bladder surgery and surveillance, further decrease the invasiveness of interventions by advancing LESS surgery, and to allow for previously impossible needle access and ablation delivery. SUMMARY: Three new robotic surgical technologies that have been developed at Vanderbilt University are reviewed, including a robotic transurethral system to enhance bladder surveillance and transurethral bladder tumor, a purpose-specific robotic system for LESS, and a needle-sized robot that can be used as either a steerable needle or small surgeon-controlled micro-laparoscopic manipulator.

Needle and syringe distribution trends in Western Australia, 1990 to 2009.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: To describe needle and syringe distribution trends of needle and syringe programs (NSP) between 1990 and 2009 in Western Australia, and explore contributing factors within the national and state strategic and legislative environment. DESIGN AND METHODS: The number of needles and syringes distributed by each of the four NSP types [needle and syringe exchange program (NSEP); health service; pharmacy; vending machine] between 1990 and 2009 were stratified by time period and geographic location using Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: Total needle and syringe distribution over the 20-year period increased by eight-fold. Regional areas experienced the highest growth: 20-fold increase compared with seven-fold increase in metropolitan areas. The proportion of needles and syringes distributed through NSEPs increased from 33% to 62% between 1990 and 2009, and through health services increased from 3% to 8% between 1994 and 2009. The proportion distributed through pharmacies decreased from 67% to 28% between 1990 and 2009, and through vending machines from 7% to 1.3% between 1992 and 2009. National and state HIV and hepatitis C strategies guided NSP provision at an early stage, and expedited legislative amendments to allow for the operation of approved NSPs. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The majority of growth occurred through the NSEPs and health service NSPs, which are publicly funded NSPs and provide injecting equipment either on 'exchange' or free-of-charge respectively. The Health Department of Western Australia recognises the increasing reliance on publicly funded NSPs and the need to continue this cost-effective public health program.

The cost of providing primary health-care services from a needle and syringe program: a case study.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Targeted primary health-care services for injecting drug users have been established in several countries to reduce barriers to health care, subsequent poor health outcomes and the considerable costs of emergency treatment. The long-term sustainability of such services depends on the resources required and the coverage provided. This study assesses the additional cost required to operate a nurse-led primary health care in an existing needle syringe program setting, estimates the costs per occasion of service and identifies key factors influencing improved service utilisation. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using standard costing methods and the funder perspective, this study estimates costs using the 'ingredients' approach where the costs of inputs are based on quantities and unit prices (the ingredients). RESULTS: During the 2009-2010 fiscal year, the primary health-care clinic provided 1252 occasions of service to 220 individuals, who each made an average of 3.9 presentations. A total cost of AU$250,626 was incurred, 69% of which was for personnel and 22% for pathology. During the study period the average cost per occasion of service was AU$199.96, which could be as low as AU$93.32 if the clinic reached its full utilisation level. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Although the average number of presentations per client was satisfactory, the clinic was underutilised during the study period. Proactive engagement of clients at the needle syringe program shopfront and an increased range of services offered by the clinic may help to attract more clients.

Use of blunt tipped cannulas for soft tissue fillers.

In the US, soft tissue fillers are currently administered using sharp, hypodermic needles. The choice in length and gauge of needle is determined by the injector's preferences, as well as the physical properties of the filler itself. While some adverse events are injector-dependent, others may be due to risks inherent to using sharp needles. The use of new, flexible cannulas with blunt tips may potentially both lower these risks and change the techniques by which fillers are administered in the future.