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Hand-carried ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis and thoracentesis
Martin Osranek1, Francesca Bursi, Patrick W O'Leary
1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
Insights
Portable ultrasound devices offer a viable alternative for guiding pericardiocentesis and thoracentesis procedures. These compact tools provide adequate imaging for pre-, intra-, and post-procedural guidance by trained physicians.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Interventional Cardiology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Traditional ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis and thoracentesis rely on large, often inaccessible equipment.
- The availability and portability of ultrasound devices impact procedural accessibility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of portable, hand-carried ultrasound devices for guiding pericardiocentesis and thoracentesis.
- To assess the suitability of these devices for defining effusion characteristics and procedural outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of 12 stable, hospitalized patients undergoing pericardiocentesis (n=9) or thoracentesis (n=3).
- Utilization of hand-carried ultrasound for pre-procedural localization, intra-procedural needle guidance, and post-procedural assessment.
- Image quality and suitability for guidance were key evaluation parameters.
Main Results:
- Hand-carried ultrasound successfully guided pericardiocentesis and thoracentesis in all 12 patients.
- The devices were effective in defining effusion extent, proximity to the skin, confirming needle placement, and evaluating post-procedural results.
- Adequate imaging was obtained throughout all procedural phases.
Conclusions:
- Portable, hand-carried ultrasound devices provide suitable imaging for guiding pericardiocentesis and thoracentesis.
- These devices can be effectively used by trained physicians for pre-, intra-, and post-procedural guidance.
- The findings suggest increased accessibility for ultrasound-guided fluid aspiration procedures.
Abstract:
To date, ultrasound-guided centeses have required the use of large, diagnostic ultrasound equipment that can be cumbersome and not readily available. In this study, we sought to evaluate the use of portable, hand-carried ultrasound devices in guidance of pericardiocentesis and thoracentesis. Hand-carried ultrasound was used to define location of the maximal extent of the effusion and its proximity to the skin surface, confirm needle entry and site, and to evaluate postprocedural result. A total of 12 patients who were stable and hospitalized were prospectively enrolled, 9 for pericardiocentesis and 3 for thoracentesis. We concluded that under the direction of a suitably trained physician, hand-carried ultrasound provided images suitable for guidance of a pericardiocentesis or thoracentesis preprocedurally, intraprocedurally, and postprocedurally.