Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32883241›Full record

Trial reportBMC anesthesiology2020

Differential rates of intravascular uptake and pain perception during lumbosacral epidural injection among adults using a 22-gauge needle versus 25-gauge needle: a randomized clinical trial.

Robin Raju, Michael Mehnert, David Stolzenberg, Jeremy Simon, Theodore Conliffe, Jeffrey Gehret

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC anesthesiology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04350307 (Differential Rates of Intravascular Uptake and Pain Perception During Lumbosacral Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection Using a 22-gauge Needle Versus 25-gauge Needle), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 87% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04350307 nacompletednot on this map

Differential Rates of Intravascular Uptake and Pain Perception During Lumbosacral Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injection Using a 22-gauge Needle Versus 25-gauge Needle

TypeinterventionalSponsorYale UniversityRan2018 to 2019Enrolled162ConditionsPain, Needle InjuryArms22-gauge needle, 25-gauge needle
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Robin RajuDepartment of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Yale New Haven Hospital/Yale University, 1 Long Wharf Drive, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA. robin.raju@yale.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-5401-3056
Michael MehnertDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
David StolzenbergDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
Jeremy SimonDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
Theodore ConliffeDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
Jeffrey GehretDepartment of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute/Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 925 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA.
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital · USYale New Haven Hospital · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundInadvertent intravascular injection has been suggested as the most probable mechanism behind serious neurological complications during transforaminal epidural steroid injections. Authors believe a smaller gauge needle may lead to less intravascular uptake and less pain. Theoretically, there is less chance for a smaller gauge needle to encounter a blood vessel during an injection compared to a larger gauge needle. Studies have also shown smaller gauge needle to cause less pain. The aim of the study was to quantify the difference between a 22-gauge needle and 25-gauge needle during lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injection in regards to intravascular uptake and pain perception.

methodsThis was a prospective single blind randomized clinical trial performed at outpatient spine practice locations of two academic institutions. One hundred sixty-two consecutive patients undergoing lumbosacral transforaminal epidural injections from February 2018 to June 2019 were recruited and randomized to each arm of the study - 84 patients were randomized to the 22-gauge needle arm and 78 patients to 25-gauge arm. Each transforaminal injection level was considered a separate incidence, hence total number of incidence was 249 (136 in 22-gauge arm and 113 in 25-gauge arm). The primary outcome measure was intravascular uptake during live fluoroscopy and/or blood aspiration. The secondary outcome measure was patient reported pain during the procedure on the numerical rating scale.

resultsFisher exact test was used to detect differences between 2 groups in regards to intravascular uptake and paired t-tests were used to detect differences in pain scores. The incidence of intravascular uptake for a 22-gauge needle was 5.9% (95% confidence interval: 1.9 to 9.8%) and for a 25-gauge needle, 7.1% (95% confidence interval: 2.4 to 11.8%) [p = 0.701]. Average numerical rating scale scores during the initial needle entry for 22-gauge and 25-gauge needle was 3.46 (95% confidence interval: 2.94 to 3.98) and 3.13 (95% confidence interval: 2.57 to 3.69) respectively [p = 0.375].

conclusionsThe study showed no statistically significant difference in intravascular uptake or pain perception between a 22-gauge needle and 25-gauge needle during lumbosacral transforaminal epidural steroid injections.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04350307. Registered 4/17/2020. (Retrospectively registered).

Indexed as

NeedlesAdultFemaleFluoroscopyHumansInjections, EpiduralLumbosacral RegionMaleMiddle AgedMonitoring, IntraoperativePain MeasurementPain PerceptionProspective StudiesSingle-Blind MethodEpiduralFluoroscopyIntravascular uptakeNeedle gaugePain perceptionTransforaminal

Identifiers

PMID32883241
PMCPMC7469311
OpenAlexW3081734047

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.