The Journal of hand surgery, European volume
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J Hand Surg Eur Vol · Nov 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialWhat benefits does ultrasound-guided axillary block for brachial plexus anaesthesia offer over the conventional blind approach in hand surgery?
Axillary block for brachial plexus anaesthesia is a popular anaesthetic technique for hand surgery with different approaches. We investigated the efficacy of the blind and ultrasound-guided approaches administered by a hand surgeon. A total of 141 patients were prospectively randomized to Group A without and Group B with ultrasound guidance. ⋯ The success rate and the mean time to onset of anaesthesia were significantly better under ultrasound guidance. The duration of surgery and the rate of complications did not differ. Ultrasound-guided plexus anaesthesia is markedly more effective than the blind technique when performed by a hand surgeon.