Table II.

Pearls and pitfalls.

Pearls	Pitfalls
Before injection, perform a provocative maneuver which elicits pain/discomfort, record the VAS; repeat the same maneuver after injection.	Use a 20- to 22-gauge hypodermic needle, if the needle is too small, it can deflect off the thick and arthritic capsule
Position the patient supine and place the ultrasound monitor on the contralateral side next to the patient’s head	Do not use a spinal needle, use a 1- to 1¼-inch needle to avoid inadvertent injection into the mediastinum
When positioning and draping, prepare both sternoclavicular joints	Do not use curvilinear ultrasound probe, use a small linear high-frequency probe (6-13Hz)