Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEpidural fentanyl speeds the onset of sensory block during epidural lidocaine anesthesia.
Shortening the onset time of sensory block is a practical goal to improve the quality of epidural anesthesia. The addition of fentanyl to a local anesthetic solution is widely used during epidural anesthesia. This randomized double-blind study examined the onset time of sensory block during epidural lidocaine anesthesia with and without added fentanyl to the epidural solution. ⋯ Epidural injection of the mixture of 100 microg fentanyl and 2% lidocaine solution accelerated the onset of sensory block during epidural lidocaine anesthesia without increased side effects.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialAxillary brachial plexus block using peripheral nerve stimulator: a comparison between double- and triple-injection techniques.
The multiple-injection technique for axillary block, in which the main 4 nerves of the plexus are located by a nerve stimulator and separately injected, has been shown to produce a high success rate. However, this technique may prove to be more difficult and time-consuming than other methods. Therefore, a simplified technique, with a reduced number of injections, might be desirable. A comparison between 2- and 3-injection techniques was made in the present double-blind study. ⋯ The 2-injection technique offers a success rate in blocking the 3 nerves innervating the hand similar to that obtained with the 3-injection technique. The latter approach should be considered when the musculocutaneous nerve distribution is involved in the surgical area.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialEffects of intrathecal sufentanil on plasma oxytocin and cortisol concentrations in women during the first stage of labor.
Intrathecal sufentanil provides analgesia comparable to epidural bupivacaine for the first stage of labor. Both epidural local anesthetics and intrathecal opioid reduce some parameters of the neuroendocrine response to labor pain and the reflex release of oxytocin in animals. In humans, epidural local anesthetics only reduce the spurt release of oxytocin. This study compared the effect of intrathecal sufentanil and epidural bupivacaine administration on the plasma concentration of oxytocin and cortisol in women with labor pain during the first stage of labor. ⋯ Intrathecal sufentanil analgesia decreases plasma concentrations of oxytocin and cortisol in women with labor pain during the first stage of labor, but epidural bupivacaine only reduced the cortisol concentration.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialClonidine versus ketamine to prevent tourniquet pain during intravenous regional anesthesia with lidocaine.
Both clonidine and ketamine have been found to prolong the action of local anesthetics through a peripheral mechanism. Our study compares the efficacy of a low dose of clonidine or ketamine separately added to intravenous regional anesthesia (IVRA) with lidocaine to prevent tourniquet pain. ⋯ The addition of clonidine 1 microg/kg or ketamine 0.1 mg/kg to lidocaine for IVRA delays the onset of unbearable tourniquet pain and decreases analgesic consumption for tourniquet pain relief, although ketamine has a more potent effect.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2001
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialEffects of epidural anesthesia on thermal sensation.
Epidural anesthesia decreases the core temperatures triggering vasoconstriction and shivering, presumably by increasing apparent (as opposed to actual) lower-body temperature. We therefore tested the hypothesis that epidural anesthesia also increases the overall perception of warmth. ⋯ Thermal sensation with and without epidural anesthesia was comparable at a lower-body temperature near 34 degrees C, which is a normal leg skin temperature. This suggests that autonomic and behavioral thermoregulatory consequences of epidural anesthesia differ-or that the current explanation for reduced vasoconstriction and shivering thresholds during epidural anesthesia is incorrect.