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Published on: October 2, 2014
An in vitro comparison of fluid leakage after dural puncture with Atraucan, Sprotte, Whitacre, and Quincke needles
L M Morrison1, A F McCrae, I Foo
1St. John's Hospital at Howden, Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland.
Background And Objectives:
The study was designed to evaluate the influence of needle size and design on the rate of leakage following dural puncture.
Methods:
An in vitro model and fresh human lumbar dura were used to examine the rate of fluid leakage after puncture with Sprotte (24-gauge and 26-gauge), Atraucan (24-gauge and 26-gauge), Quincke (26-gauge and 29-gauge), and Whitacre (22-gauge and 25-gauge) needles.
Results:
The study confirmed that finer-gauge needles tend to produce less leakage and that traditional Quincke pattern bevels result in greater leakage than pencil-point designs of the same diameter.
Conclusions:
The comparably low leakage rate produced by the Atraucan, a new needle with a terminal opening, suggests that this needle is worthy of further clinical evaluation.
