The Journal of hand surgery, European volume
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J Hand Surg Eur Vol · Oct 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialMicrobial counts in hands with and without nail varnish after surgical skin preparation: a randomized control trial.
Nail varnish is commonly removed from fingernails prior to surgical procedures. We report the results of a randomized controlled trial comparing the microbial counts in hands with and without nail varnish applied, following surgical skin preparation. ⋯ There was no significant difference in terms of positive microbial growth between the nail plates or hyponichia with or without nail varnish applied. Our results demonstrate that the presence of nail varnish does not have an effect on the microbial counts of hands following surgical skin preparation.
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J Hand Surg Eur Vol · Jun 2013
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyLocal anaesthesia versus intravenous regional anaesthesia in endoscopic carpal tunnel release: a randomized controlled trial.
We carried out a prospective randomized trial in 38 patients to compare intravenous regional anaesthesia with local anaesthesia in endoscopic carpal tunnel release using the Agee single-portal technique. There was no significant difference in reported pain during surgery. ⋯ Moreover, significantly fewer patients in the local anaesthetic group required additional analgesics during the first 2 hours after operation. We conclude that local anaesthesia reduces post-operative pain in endoscopic carpal tunnel release compared with intravenous regional anaesthesia.
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J Hand Surg Eur Vol · Jan 2012
Randomized Controlled TrialOutcome of corticosteroid injection versus physiotherapy in the treatment of mild trigger fingers.
We compared the effectiveness of physiotherapy and corticosteroid injection treatment in the management of mild trigger fingers. Mild trigger fingers are those with mild crepitus, uneven finger movements and actively correctable triggering. This is a single-centred, prospective, block randomized study with 74 patients; 39 patients for steroid injection and 35 patients for physiotherapy. ⋯ The physiotherapy group had no recurrence of pain or triggering due to the type of triggering responsive to physiotherapy or possibly due to awareness of physiotherapy exercises. Perhaps they were able to institute self-treatment on early onset of symptoms of trigger fingers. We conclude that corticosteroid injection has a better outcome compared to physiotherapy in the treatment of mild trigger fingers but physiotherapy may have a role in prevention of recurrence.
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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.
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J Hand Surg Eur Vol · Mar 2011
Randomized Controlled TrialPatient controlled regional analgesia after carpal tunnel release: a double-blind study using distal perineural catheters.
This study was done to assess the efficacy of a perineural catheter for pain relief following carpal tunnel release (CTR). Sixty-six patients undergoing open CTR under local anaesthesia (LA) were randomly divided into three groups: Groups A and B had a perineural catheter and Group C served as non-blinded control group. Postoperative pain relief was by self-administration of either ropivacaine (Group A) or saline (Group B) via an elastometric pump and by oral paracetamol in Group C. ⋯ Fewer patients in Group A requested supplementary analgesics than in Group C. Patient satisfaction was higher in Group A than in Group B on day 1. However better analgesia was not associated with better functional recovery.