Post-dural puncture headaches (PDPHs) present an important clinical problem. We assessed methods to decrease accidental dural punctures (ADPs) and interventions to reduce PDPH following ADP. Multiple electronic databases were searched for randomised clinical trials (RCTs) of parturients having labour epidurals, in which the studied intervention could plausibly affect ADP or PDPH, and the incide...

Two experiments were performed to determine the effects of friction and needle geometry during robotic needle insertion into soft tissues. In Experiment I, friction forces along the instrument axis were characterized during needle insertion into bovine liver under CT fluoroscopic imaging. Because the relative velocity of the tissue and needle affect viscous and Coulomb friction, the needle inse...

BACKGROUND Spinal anesthesia (SA) is usually associated with hypotension in pregnant women. We sought to assess the influence of various maternal positions on SA-induced hypotension MATERIAL/METHODS The study population comprised 99 women at full-term gestation scheduled for elective cesarean section. They were randomized into 3 equal groups: the LL group, in which the patient was placed in t...

BACKGROUND Intracerebral drug delivery using surgically placed microcatheters is a growing area of interest for potential treatment of a wide variety of neurological diseases, including tumors, neurodegenerative disorders, trauma, epilepsy, and stroke. Current catheter placement techniques are limited to straight trajectories. The development of an inexpensive system for flexible percutaneous i...

The current standard preparation for Class IV composite restorations is the placement of a bevel on all enamel margins. This study evaluated chamfered and beveled preparations for Class IV restorations of lesions with microfilled and macrofilled composite resin. Forty incisors were obtained and standardized lesions for Class IV restorations were formed. Twenty teeth had a 1.5-mm bevel placed an...

AIM This in vitro study compared the effect of a concave with a straight-bevelled cavity margin on the microleakage of Class V composite resin restorations in primary teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS Standardised Class V cavity preparations were made in vitro on the buccal (all margins placed in enamel) and on the lingual (margins placed in enamel and cementum) surfaces of 20 sound primary molars...

PURPOSE To quantify needle placement accuracy of magnetic resonance image (MRI)-guided core needle biopsy of the prostate. MATERIALS AND METHODS A total of 10 biopsies were performed with 18-gauge (G) core biopsy needle via a percutaneous transperineal approach. Needle placement error was assessed by comparing the coordinates of preplanned targets with the needle tip measured from the intrapr...

The transarterial approach to brachial plexus block is a well-established method of producing anesthesia of the upper extremity. However, it is associated with a failure rate of 20% to 30%. Failure may be secondary to the common use of a relatively long needle, which can penetrate the posterior wall of the sheath and result in inadvertent injection of the local anesthetic into the surrounding t...

Hemodialysis patient survival is dependent on the availability of a reliable vascular access. In clinical practice, procedures for vascular access cannulation vary from clinic to clinic. We investigated the impact of cannulation technique on arteriovenous fistula and graft survival. Based on an April 2009 cross-sectional survey of vascular access cannulation practices in 171 dialysis units, a c...