Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Oct 2018
Rhomboid Intercostal and Subserratus Plane Block: A Cadaveric and Clinical Evaluation.
Fascial plane blocks are rapidly emerging to provide safe, feasible alternatives to epidural analgesia for thoracic and abdominal pain. We define a new option for chest wall and upper abdominal analgesia, termed the rhomboid intercostal and subserratus plane (RISS) block. The RISS tissue plane extends deep to the erector spinae muscle medially and deep to the serratus anterior muscle laterally. We describe a 2-part proof-of-concept study to validate the RISS block, including a cadaveric study to evaluate injectate spread and a retrospective case series to assess dermatomal coverage and analgesic efficacy. ⋯ Our preliminary cadaveric and clinical data suggest that RISS block anesthetizes the lateral cutaneous branches of the thoracic intercostal nerves and can be used in multiple clinical settings for chest wall and upper abdominal analgesia.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Oct 2018
Lack of Association Between Levels and Length of Intraoperative Controlled Hypotension and Acute Kidney Injury in Total Hip Arthroplasty Patients Receiving Neuraxial Anesthesia.
Previous research suggests that increased duration and lower levels of intraoperative hypotension (IOH) are associated with postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI). However, this association has not been evaluated in the context of intraoperative controlled hypotension (IOCH), a practice that has been linked in the past to improved outcomes with respect to blood loss and transfusion needs. This study aimed to investigate whether IOCH is associated with postoperative AKI among total hip arthroplasty patients at an institution where this technique is commonly practiced. ⋯ In this study, AKI was rare. We found a lack of association between IOH and postoperative AKI in a setting where neuraxial anesthesia-facilitated IOCH is routinely practiced. Therefore, it seems prudent for future research and clinical guidelines to consider the distinction between inadvertent and controlled hypotension.