A randomized comparison of sample adequacy and diagnostic yield of various suction pressures in EBUS-TBNA

The evidence for using vacuum suction during EBUS is sparse and the optimal suction pressure for obtaining adequate samples has not yet been determined. Our aim was to assess the influence of suction on the adequacy and diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA.

This single-center, prospective, randomized, non-inferiority trial assessed whether no-suction and 10 mL suction are inferior to 20 mL suction for adequacy and diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA aspirates.

Three hundred twenty three lymph nodes were sampled using EBUS-TBNA. Baseline characteristics of lymph nodes were comparable in the three suction groups. The overall adequacy of EBUS-TBNA aspirates in the no-suction, 10 mL, and 20 mL suction was 90%, 83.49%, and 77.88%, respectively. The differences in adequacy were 12.1% (95% CI: 3.9-20.3) and 5.6% (95% CI: -3.3-14.5) for no-suction vs 20 mL, and 10 mL vs 20 mL suction, respectively. No-suction and 10 mL were not inferior to 20 mL suction in terms of sample adequacy. At a superiority margin of 3.92%, no-suction was superior to 20 mL suction in terms of sample adequacy (p < 0.05). The overall diagnostic yield was comparable (63.6%, 52.3%, and 57.7% in 0, 10 mL, and 20 mL, respectively; p-value was not significant). The proportion of aspirates which were predominantly bloody was similar (no-suction - 10.9%, 10 mL - 13.8%, 20 mL - 15.4%; p = 0.62).

EBUS-TBNA with or without the application of vacuum suction does not influence specimen adequacy and diagnostic yield.