Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 1998
Comparative StudyHigh thoracic epidural block relieves acute herpetic pain involving the trigeminal and cervical regions: comparison with effects of stellate ganglion block.
Stellate ganglion block can promptly relieve acute herpetic pain (AHP) involving the trigeminal and cervical regions. However, repeated blocks are needed to maintain pain relief in most patients with severe AHP. Because continuous epidural block is easily performed using an indwelling catheter, we compared the effect of high thoracic epidural block with that of stellate ganglion block to relieve moderate-to-severe AHP involving these regions. ⋯ High thoracic epidural block was as effective as stellate ganglion block in relieving moderate-to-severe AHP involving the trigeminal and cervical regions.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 1998
Case ReportsParaplegia following intracord injection during attempted epidural anesthesia under general anesthesia.
A case of permanent paraplegia is reported following attempted epidural anesthesia for a total knee replacement in a 62-year-old woman with a history of lumbar laminectomy for a prolapsed intervertebral disc. ⋯ Standards of management are discussed in relation to this case.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 1998
The effects and side effects of interscalene brachial plexus block by posterior approach.
To investigate the use of interscalene block by posterior approach in upper extremity surgery and its effects on routine pulmonary function tests. ⋯ Interscalene block by posterior approach did not provide a satisfactory anesthesia for forearm and hand surgery. This method also caused hemidiaphragmetic paresis and a reduction in pulmonary function tests as in the lateral approach of Winnie. We believe limitations and relative contraindications for interscalene block by lateral approach are the same for posterior approach.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 1998
Epidural pressures and spread of 2% lidocaine in the epidural space: influence of volume and speed of injection of the local anesthetic solution.
The impact of epidural pressures on the spread of epidural block is controversial. This study examined the effect of volume and speed of injection of local anesthetics on epidural pressures and the spread of anesthesia. ⋯ The peak epidural pressures correlated with the speed of injection of the lidocaine solution and not with its volume, whereas the remaining epidural pressures correlated with its volume and not with the speed of injection. The extent and duration of the thermal block exhibited a more consistent correlation (inverse and direct, respectively) with the epidural pressures than those of the sensory block.