Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2009
ReviewUltrasound-guided interventional procedures in pain medicine: a review of anatomy, sonoanatomy, and procedures: part I: nonaxial structures.
Application of ultrasound in pain medicine is a rapidly growing medical field in interventional pain management. Ultrasound provides direct visualization of various soft tissues and real-time needle advancement and avoids exposing both the health care provider and the patient to the risks of radiation. The machine itself is more affordable than a fluoroscope, computed tomography scan, or magnetic resonance imaging machine. In the present review, we discuss the challenges and limitations of ultrasound-guided procedures for pain management, anatomy, and sonoanatomy of selected pain management procedures and the literature on those selected procedures.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyA comparison of sensory and motor loss after a femoral nerve block conducted with ultrasound versus ultrasound and nerve stimulation.
Controversy exists regarding the need for nerve stimulation when performing an ultrasound (US)-guided peripheral nerve block. We tested the hypothesis that the quality of a femoral nerve block (FNB) performed with US is equivalent to an FNB performed with US and nerve stimulation. ⋯ The addition of nerve stimulation to a US-guided FNB did not change preoperative block efficacy.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2009
Review Case ReportsEvidence-based case report: the prevention and management of postherpetic neuralgia with emphasis on interventional procedures.
A patient with postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) did not respond to medications, either singly or in combination, or to intrathecal methylprednisolone but responded to intrathecal alcohol. This evidenced-based case management article evaluates and grades the evidence for the prevention and treatment of PHN. ⋯ Postherpetic neuralgia should be managed pharmacologically. If not effective, intrathecal steroid injections or nerve blocks may be tried. Spinal cord stimulation or intrathecal alcohol should be used only as a last resort.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2009
ReviewCorrelation between ultrasound imaging, cross-sectional anatomy, and histology of the brachial plexus: a review.
The anatomy of the brachial plexus is complex. To facilitate the understanding of the ultrasound appearance of the brachial plexus, we present a review of important anatomic considerations. A detailed correlation of reconstructed, cross-sectional gross anatomy and histology with ultrasound sonoanatomy is provided.
-
Reg Anesth Pain Med · Sep 2009
Anatomic basis to the ultrasound-guided approach for saphenous nerve blockade.
Successful blockade of the saphenous nerve using surface landmarks can be challenging. We evaluated the anatomic basis of performing a saphenous nerve block with ultrasound (US) using its relationship to the saphenous branch of descending genicular artery, sartorius muscle, and the adductor hiatus as defined by cadaveric measurements. ⋯ The US-guided approach for saphenous nerve blockade using its close anatomic relationship to the SBDGA is a feasible alternative to previously described surface landmark-based or US-guided paravenous approaches.