Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 2013
Systematic ultrasound identification of the dorsal scapular and long thoracic nerves during interscalene block.
The use of ultrasound for in-plane interscalene block shifts needle insertion to a more posterior approach through the middle scalene muscle, when compared with classic nerve stimulator techniques. Branches from the brachial plexus, including the dorsal scapular and long thoracic nerves, are often anatomically located within the middle scalene muscle. The aim of this study was to use ultrasound to identify and characterize the frequency and position of the dorsal scapular and long thoracic nerves located in the middle scalene muscle. ⋯ This descriptive study revealed that the dorsal scapular and long thoracic nerves routinely could be identified with ultrasound.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 2013
Minimum effective volume of lidocaine for double-injection ultrasound-guided axillary block.
The aim of this study was to determine the minimum effective volume of lidocaine 1.5% with epinephrine 5 μg/mL in 90% of patients (MEV90) for double-injection ultrasound-guided axillary block (AXB). ⋯ For double-injection ultrasound-guided AXB, the MEV90 of lidocaine 1.5% with epinephrine 5 μg/mL is 5.5 and 23.5 mL for the musculocutaneous nerve and perivascular injection, respectively. Further dose-finding studies are required for other concentrations of lidocaine, other local anesthetic agents, and other techniques for ultrasound-guided AXB.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialLong-term pain and functional disability after total knee arthroplasty with and without single-injection or continuous sciatic nerve block in addition to continuous femoral nerve block: a prospective, 1-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial.
This is a follow-up to determine long-term outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients enrolled in a previous randomized trial that found reduced postoperative pain after addition of sciatic nerve block to continuous femoral nerve block for TKA. ⋯ No differences were detected in the secondary outcomes we examined. Thus, improved postoperative outcome did not translate into improved functional outcome or long-term pain.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 2013
Local anesthetic-induced inhibition of human neutrophil priming: the influence of structure, lipophilicity, and charge.
Local anesthetics (LAs) are widely known for inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels underlying their antiarrhythmic and antinociceptive effects. However, LAs have significant immunomodulatory properties and were shown to affect human neutrophil functions independent of sodium-channel blockade. Previous studies suggest a highly selective interaction between LAs and the α-subunit of G protein-coupled receptors of the Gq/G11 family as underlying mechanism. Providing a detailed structure function analysis, this study aimed to determine the active parts within the LA molecule responsible for the effects on human neutrophil priming. ⋯ Local anesthetics significantly attenuated Gαq-protein-mediated neutrophil priming. The most potent inhibition was achieved by ester compounds, inversely correlated with their octanol-buffer coefficient, and enhanced by permanent charges within the LA molecule. No correlation to their potency of blocking sodium channels was found.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 2013
Bilateral loss of neural function after interscalene plexus blockade may be caused by epidural spread of local anesthetics: a cadaveric study.
Interscalene brachial plexus blockade is widely used in surgical procedures of the upper limb. Recently, we experienced the complication of a contralateral blockade after ultrasound-guided interscalene block. The clinical appearance was a blockade of both the ipsilateral and the contralateral cervical segments 6 to 8. We hypothesized that epidural spread of local anesthetics could be cause for this phenomenon. ⋯ Contralateral blockade after ultrasound-guided interscalene injection of local anesthetics is very likely to be the effect of epidural spread. Future in vivo studies are needed to understand the implications of needle location and volume on epidural spread in interscalene blockade.