• M F Stevens, U Linstedt, B Neruda, P Lipfert, and H Wulf.
• Department of Anaesthesiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany.
• Anaesthesia. 1996 Oct 1;51(10):916-9.

AbstractWe examined the effect of high frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on the onset of brachial plexus block. Three groups of patients scheduled for surgery of the hand had a local anaesthetic block performed with 40 ml mepivacaine 1.5% using the axillary approach. After injection of the local anaesthetic transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation was applied for 15 min either to the median nerve or the ulnar nerve; no stimulation was applied in the control group. Before and for 45 min after, the injection of local anaesthetic touch perception, pin prick, motor strength and skin temperature were tested by a blinded investigator in the areas supplied by the median, musculocutaneous, radial and ulnar nerves. There were no differences in the onset of block between the groups. Thus, the frequency-dependent action of local anaesthetics could not be demonstrated.

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