A Pilot In Vitro Evaluation of the "Air Test" for Perineural Catheter Tip Localization by a Novice Regional Anesthesiologist. (1st December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Johns, Jason; Harrison, T. Kyle; Steffel, Lauren; Howard, Steven K.; Kim, T. Edward; Kou, Alex; Mariano, Edward R.
• Is Part Of: Journal of ultrasound in medicine. Volume 33:Number 12(2014)
• Page Start: 2197
• Page End: 2200
• Publication Date: 2014-12-01
• Subjects: air test -- perineural catheter -- point-of-care ultrasound -- sensitivity -- specificity -- ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia; Ultrasonics in medicine -- Periodicals; Ultrasonics; Ultrasonography; Ultrasonics in medicine; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Periodicals; 616.07543
• DOI: 10.7863/ultra.33.12.2197
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0278-4297

Abstract

Abstract : The "air test" is used clinically to infer perineural catheter location and has been recently evaluated for use by experts. However, its utility for practitioners with less experience is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that the air test, when performed by a novice regional anesthesiologist, will improve assessment of perineural catheter tip position in a validated porcine‐bovine model and determined the test's positive and negative predictive values, sensitivity, and specificity for a novice. In contrast to the results of the expert study, the air test did not improve the novice's assessment of perineural catheter tip location over chance.