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ORIGINAL ARTICLES
Ultrasound Provides a Reliable Test of Local Anesthetic Spread
  1. Colin J. L. McCartney, MBChB, FRCA, FCARCSI, FRCPC*,
  2. Victoria Dickinson, BA*,
  3. Adam Dubrowski, PhD†,
  4. Sheila Riazi, MD, FRCPC*,
  5. Paul McHardy, MD, FRCPC* and
  6. Imad T. Awad, MD, FCARCSI*
  1. From the *Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; and
  2. †SickKids Learning Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
  1. Address correspondence to: Colin J. L. McCartney, MBChB, FRCA, FCARCSI, FRCPC, Department of Anesthesia, University of Toronto, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4N 3M5 (e-mail: colin.mccartney{at}utoronto.ca).

Abstract

Background and Objectives: We predicted that practitioners could identify injectate spread in a model of ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block.

Methods: Both novices and experts in ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block were asked to recognize the spread of local anesthetic in a gelatin ultrasound phantom. In a blinded and randomized fashion, these participants were observed to either successfully or unsuccessfully state whether an injection had been made.

Results: Twelve novices and 8 experts each completed the trials. Accuracy, Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for all trials. Users attained a very high accuracy and sensitivity (>85%) as well as specificity (>90%) with ultrasound in this model.

Conclusions: This study shows that ultrasound is a reliable method of detecting injectate spread in a gelatin phantom model.

https://doi.org/10.1097/AAP.0b013e3181e82e79

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    Footnotes

    • Funding was provided through departmental sources only.

    • Presented at the Anaesthetic Research Society Meeting, London, UK, November 2008.