Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2003
Clinical TrialPainful paresthesiae are infrequent during brachial plexus localization using low-current peripheral nerve stimulation.
Considerable controversy exists over the relationship of paresthesia to nerve stimulation. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency with which patients report paresthesia at the point that an acceptable motor response is obtained to low-intensity current electrical stimulation. ⋯ Painful paresthesiae should be infrequent when a low-stimulating current is used to identify the neural components of the brachial plexus and when the block needle is advanced slowly. Low-current intensity nerve stimulation can be used to achieve successful interscalene block with minimal discomfort to the patient.