The Journal of foot and ankle surgery : official publication of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomized controlled trial to compare two techniques for partial digital local anesthetic blocks.
The administration of local anesthetic before surgery to the great toe is often associated with significant difficulties, delaying surgery and increasing risk. Anxious patients can faint, refuse injection, or withdraw the foot while an anesthetic is being delivered. Such events led us to consider whether delivering a small amount of anesthetic throughout the injection site, before the main injection, may reduce pain intensity and duration. ⋯ In the 2-stage method, it is believed that they were due to the initial infiltration of a small quantity of the anesthetic solution throughout the injection site, with the remainder being administered, after a 2-minute interval, into tissue that was predominantly anesthetized. This differs from raising a traditional bleb where a small amount of anesthetic is infiltrated into superficial tissue. The 2-stage technique is therefore recommended as the method of choice for adults.