Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2023
Ultrasound-guided flexor sheath block as a valid alternative to blind techniques for finger pain treatment: the horseshoe sign.
The flexor sheath digital block allows effective analgesia and anesthesia for finger pain control. To date, only blind techniques are described in the literature in patients with finger fractures, supposedly due to the superficial position of the structures used as landmarks. We describe an ultrasound-guided technique with a definite endpoint to achieve this block. To our knowledge, this is the first clinical application of this procedure. ⋯ The ultrasound-guided flexor digital sheath block is a valid alternative to the blind technique, allowing direct visualization and, thereby, confirming transthecal injection of the local anesthetic. The continuously increasing availability of ultrasound machines in emergency departments and operating theaters may encourage the spread of this technique.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2023
Comparative effectiveness of anesthetic technique on outcomes after lumbar spine surgery: a retrospective propensity score-matched analysis of the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, 2009-2019.
The impact of anesthetic technique on spine surgery outcomes is controversial. Using a large national sample of patients, we compared outcomes after lumbar decompression under regional anesthesia (RA: spinal or epidural) or general anesthesia (GA). ⋯ Compared with GA, RA was associated with fewer complications, less blood transfusion and shorter LOS after spine surgery. Although statistically significant, the magnitude of effects was small and requires further prospective study.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2023
Subcostal transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative analgesia in liver transplant recipients: a before-and-after study.
Postoperative pain management after orthotopic liver transplantation is complex due to impaired liver function and frequent acute kidney dysfunction. Subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block may be of interest in this population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of subcostal TAP block on opioid consumption after liver transplantation. ⋯ Subcostal TAP block appears to have a small opioid reducing effect after orthotopic liver transplantation surgery.