Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyAnesthetic technique and the cytokine and matrix metalloproteinase response to primary breast cancer surgery.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Surgery remains the most effective treatment. Several perioperative factors, including the surgical stress response, many anesthetics and opioids, adversely affect immune function. Regional anesthesia-analgesia attenuates perioperative immunosuppression. We tested the hypothesis that patients who receive combined propofol/paravertebral anesthesia-analgesia (propofol/paravertebral) exhibited reduced levels of protumorigenic cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and elevated levels of antitumorigenic cytokines compared with patients receiving sevoflurane anesthesia with opioid analgesia (sevoflurane/opioid). ⋯ Propofol/paravertebral anesthesia-analgesia for breast cancer surgery alters a minority of cytokines influential in regulating perioperative cancer immunity. Further evaluation is required to determine the significance of these observations.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialEvaluation of the depth and duration of anesthesia from heated lidocaine/tetracaine (Synera) patches compared with placebo patches applied to healthy adult volunteers.
The heated lidocaine/tetracaine patch (Synera; ZARS Pharma, Inc, Salt Lake City, UT) is among the local topical anesthetic formulations used to prevent procedural pain. This study was conducted to determine the depth and duration of anesthesia provided by the patch and to evaluate safety and tolerability. ⋯ The heated lidocaine/tetracaine patch is well tolerated, and it provides favorable depth and duration of anesthesia without significant sensory loss for superficial venous access and minor dermatological procedures after a 30-min application.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyA randomized comparison between ultrasound-guided and landmark-based superficial cervical plexus block.
This prospective, randomized, observer-blinded study compared ultrasound guidance and the conventional landmark-based technique for superficial cervical plexus blockade. ⋯ Ultrasound guidance does not increase the success rate of superficial cervical plexus block compared with a landmark-based technique. Additional confirmatory trials are required.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2010
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of a preemptive femoral nerve block on cytokine release and hyperalgesia in experimentally inflamed skin of human volunteers.
Tissue injury is associated with the local release of inflammatory and nociceptive mediators and the development of hyperalgesia. It is unclear whether interrupting neuronal signaling using regional anesthetic techniques at the time of the injury modifies local nociceptive and inflammatory processes. The aim of this study was to determine whether a peripheral nerve block at the time of tissue injury could modify the development of wound hyperalgesia and the local release of inflammatory and nociceptive mediators. ⋯ These findings suggest that a preemptive, single-shot peripheral nerve block minimally affects wound hyperalgesia and inflammation. Continuous nerve block techniques may be better suited to alter nociceptive and inflammatory events in wounds beyond the duration of the block.