Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2014
Perineural Hematoma May Result in Nerve Inflammation and Myelin Damage.
Perineural hematoma may occur during performance of peripheral nerve blocks. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that an iatrogenic hematoma in the immediate vicinity of a peripheral nerve may cause histologic evidence of nerve injury. ⋯ Our data suggest that hematoma adjacent to nerve tissue may result in structural nerve injury and inflammatory changes.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialThe Effect of Gowning on Labor Epidural Catheter Colonization Rate: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
The need to gown for labor epidural catheter insertion is controversial. The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine has identified a lack of randomized controlled trials investigating this issue. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of gowning on colonization rates following epidural catheter insertion for labor analgesia. ⋯ The use of gowns in the current study did not affect catheter colonization rate. Overall, there was a relatively high incidence of catheter-tip colonization in both groups, which underscores the need for strict aseptic technique.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2014
Cadaveric Study of Sacroiliac Joint Innervation: Implications for Diagnostic Blocks and Radiofrequency Ablation.
Optimization of clinical outcomes of lateral branch radiofrequency ablation or blocks for sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain requires precise nerve localization; however, there is a lack of comprehensive morphological studies. The objectives of this cadaveric study were to document SIJ innervation relative to bony landmarks in 3 dimensions and to identify reference points visible under ultrasound and fluoroscopy for optimal needle placement. ⋯ Based on the innervation pattern and using bony landmarks identifiable under ultrasound and fluoroscopy, 2 radiofrequency ablation techniques were proposed. Further research is required to determine the accuracy and reliability of needle placement and to evaluate clinical outcomes.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2014
Evaluation of Epidural and Peripheral Nerve Catheter Heating During Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Many epidural and peripheral nerve catheters contain conducting wire that could heat during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), requiring removal for scanning. ⋯ Most but not all catheters can be left in place during 1.5-T MRI scans. Heating of less than 3°C during MRI for most catheters is not expected to be injurious. While heating was lower at 1.5 T versus 3 T, performance differences between products underscore the need for safety testing before performing MRI.