Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe effects of arm position on central spread of local anesthetics and on quality of the block with axillary brachial plexus block.
Spread of local anesthetic solution in axillary brachial plexus block is thought to be influenced by the position of the arm and the use of compression maneuvers. We investigated how these two factors affected central local anesthetic spread and block quality. ⋯ The central spread of local anesthetics is facilitated by injection without abduction of the arm but not by the use of compression at the injection site. This, however, did not alter the quality of the block.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialIntravenous administration of caffeine sodium benzoate for postdural puncture headache.
In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of prophylactic administration of intravenous caffeine sodium benzoate for postdural puncture headaches (PDPH) on patients administered spinal anesthesia. ⋯ Intravenous caffeine sodium benzoate administration during spinal anesthesia is a simple and safe way to minimize PDPH.
-
Despite unprecedented interest in understanding pain mechanisms and pain management, a significant number of patients continue to experience unacceptable pain after surgery. Recent surveys show that there has been no apparent improvement since an early study in 1952 (15). It is increasingly clear that the solution to the problems of postoperative pain management lies not so much in the development of new techniques but in developing an organization to exploit existing expertise. ⋯ All senior anesthesiologists (section chiefs) working in the operating room are part of this APS. The means of providing satisfactory analgesia are already present in most hospitals. Careful planning and a multidisciplinary approach to pain management will ensure that resources are optimally utilized, and the quality of pain management is consistently maintained.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 1999
Multicenter Study Clinical TrialThe PENCAN 25-gauge needle: a new pencil-point needle for spinal anesthesia tested in 1,193 patients.
The PENCAN 25-gauge spinal needle is a new pencil-point needle with an inner diameter of 0.32 mm resulting in a relatively high cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. The PENCAN 25-gauge needle was tested for ease of identification of a successful dural puncture, the failure rate of spinal anesthesia, and the incidence of postdural puncture headache (PDPH). ⋯ A failure rate of 1.9% together with a 1.3% incidence of PDPH were comparable to other 25-gauge pencil-point needles. The rapid appearance of CSF and a perceptible "click" made prompt recognition of successful dural puncture possible.