Practical Practical: Streamlined Joint Fluid Drainage
To easily drain an ulnar bursa or a patellar effusion of any size--and simplify preparation of the aspirate for transfer--use an evacuated blood draw kit with an 18-gauge needle attachment, a see-through-labeled tube coated with whatever anticoagulant your laboratory specifies, and several large additive-free tubes. Begin with the coated tube
To easily drain an ulnar bursa or a patellar effusion of any size--and simplify preparation of the aspirate for transfer--use an evacuated blood draw kit with an 18-gauge needle attachment, a see-through-labeled tube coated with whatever anticoagulant your laboratory specifies, and several large additive-free tubes. Begin with the coated tube. If more than 7 to 10 mL of fluid must be drained, simply exchange the full tube for one of the uncoated ones. Use of an anticoagulant-coated tube to begin the aspiration creates a specimen of about 7 mL that can be examined in the tube visually and then sent "as is" to the lab for analysis. This method also provides a ready and reliable estimate of the volume of fluid drained.
Primary Viewpoints Episode 7: Antidepressants for Back Pain, Osteoarthritis Pain
February 25th 2021Listen to our newest podcast episode where the lead author of a recent meta-analysis shares his findings on the safety and efficacy of antidepressant medications to treat back and osteoarthritis pain.
Podcast: Arthritis, Anxiety, and Depression: Managing a Common Comorbidity
May 14th 2012Anxiety is even more common than depression among people who have arthritis, a new study has shown. Here to discuss the implications for diagnosis and treatment is Eilzabeth Lin MD, a family medicine physician who is a longstanding researcher in the field of depression and pain.
