Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2006
Case ReportsUrinary incontinence after bilateral parasacral sciatic-nerve block: report of two cases.
The authors describe the occurrence of urinary incontinence after bilateral parasacral sciatic-nerve blocks. ⋯ Given the anatomic relations between the sacral plexus and the autonomic and somatic afferent and efferent innervation of the bladder and urethra, the urinary incontinence observed in our 2 patients could be explained by loss of afferent activity by spread of the local-anesthetic solution to pelvic nerves, loss of the efferent innervation of the posterior urethral sphincter by spread of the local-anesthetic solution to the urethral branches of the hypogastric plexus, and loss of external urethral sphincter tonus by block of the pudendal nerves. Anesthesiologists should consider the possibility of occurrence of urinary incontinence when performing bilateral parasacral sciatic-nerve blocks.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2006
A method to estimate the depth of the sciatic nerve during subgluteal block by using thigh diameter as a guide.
The subgluteal approach is common for sciatic nerve block. Although the surface landmarks are clear, the depth of this nerve at this level is difficult to judge. The purpose of this study is to establish a method of estimating the sciatic nerve depth using the anteroposterior (AP) diameter of the thigh as a marker. ⋯ Comparing phase 1 and phase 2 datasets shows the slopes of linear regression lines are nearly parallel. The clinical data from phase 2 verify the anatomical data collected in phase 1 and show that the sciatic nerve depth to AP diameter ratio is 0.43 or the depth of the sciatic nerve is approximately 43% of thigh diameter if the patient is positioned in the lateral decubitus position.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2006
Objective assessment of manual skills and proficiency in performing epidural anesthesia--video-assisted validation.
Demand is growing for objective assessment of manual skills and competencies of invasive procedures. The aim of this study was to validate an objective tool for assessing residents' skill in performing epidural anesthesia by use of a global assessment scale and a 3-scale, 27-stage checklist. We wish to demonstrate that this tool can differentiate operators with different levels of training. ⋯ The results of our study show that scores on a system that consists of a global-rating form and a task-specific checklist had a significant relation to the number of epidural insertions performed (i.e., experience). The interrater reliability of these assessment tools was very strong. Evaluation of technical skills by an objective tool under direct observation, as opposed to laboratory setting, may create a more reliable standard of assessment. Furthermore, residency programs could use these evaluations to identify deficiencies in teaching programs and trainees who require extra instruction.