Table 4.

Effect of Subject and Procedure Variables on Diagnostic Yield^a

	Diagnostic (322)	Nondiagnostic (15)	P
Age, years	51±19.1	44±12.4	.12
Dimensions, mm	59.5±34.2	52.1±25.9	.41
Modality
US	14	0	.41
CT	308	15
Route
Parasternal	253	14	.42
Trans-sternal	22	0
Transpleural	18	1
Paraspinal	29	0
Introducer needle
Yes	310	15	.45
No	12	0
Cutting needle size, G
16	11	0	.18
18	228	8
20	83	7
Number of passes	5.3±2.5	4.7±1.8	.36

^aCT, computed tomography; US, ultrasound.