A Review of Externally Aided Syringe Retraction Techniques for Needle Thoracostomy

Needle Thoracostomy, which is an aspiration procedure, is frequently used in critical conditions. Conventional syringes are usually used for the aspiration procedure and their usage requires two hands. However, syringesfacilitating single hand usage are very much required for needle thoracostomy so that the second hand may be utilized for video assisted procedures like ultrasound for assisting the aspiration procedure. The presnt work presents a review of various syringe designs and concepts reported in the literature for externally aided operation of syringes. Different methods have been reported for aided actuation of the plunger for single hand operation.The features of various types of syringes reviewed in the present work may guide the user in deciding the suitability of the device for aspiration as well as in designing a new device for aspiration.