Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 1998
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialSpinal anesthesia with tetracaine in 0.75% glucose: influence of the vertebral interspace used for injection.
The anesthetic behavior and hemodynamic consequences of spinal anesthesia with marginally hyperbaric tetracaine containing a low concentration of glucose injected at two different interspaces were examined and compared with those of conventionally hyperbaric solution. ⋯ A marginally hyperbaric tetracaine solution injected at the L2-L3 interspace with the patient in the lateral position produced greater extent of cephalad spread than that at the L3-L4 interspace. When compared to a conventionally hyperbaric tetracaine solution injected at the L3-L4 interspace, the marginally hyperbaric solution injected at the L2-L3 interspace caused less hemodynamic variability despite similar levels of maximum sensory block.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 1998
Clinical TrialHigh-dose ropivacaine wound infiltration for pain relief after inguinal hernia repair: a clinical and pharmacokinetic evaluation.
Early data on ropivacaine, a recently introduced local anesthetic, indicate a longer duration of skin analgesia than with bupivacaine, along with lower toxicity. The objective of this study was to evaluate ropivacaine 7.5 mg/mL for wound infiltration pain relief after hernia surgery, in higher doses than used before, in an open, nonrandomized design. ⋯ Infiltration of ropivacaine 7.5 mg/mL during hernia surgery can be employed safely in doses of 300 mg and 375 mg to control pain after hernia surgery. The lower dose is recommended, since the higher one did not give any clinically relevant advantages.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 1998
Comparative StudyPain evaluation in the intensive care unit: observer-reported faces scale compared with self-reported visual analog scale.
The visual analog scale (VAS) is a simple and sensitive mean of pain assessment. The faces scale is also a simple, self-reporting method for children. Facial signs of pain have not been used to assess pain in postoperative adult patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). ⋯ The faces scale may be useful for pain evaluation in the ICU.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 1998
Case ReportsInguinal paravascular (lumbar plexus) neurolytic block--description of a catheter technique: case report.
We provided care for a 47-year-old female with a history of lung carcinoma and bony metastases who sustained a pathologic fracture of the right acetabulum causing severe and uncontrolled pain in the right groin. Her pain was rated as 8-10 on a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS). Her terminal disease and poor surgical risk precluded therapeutic operative intervention. Consequently, a neurolytic block of the lumbar plexus was performed as a palliative measure. ⋯ This case report supports the feasibility of placing a catheter via a modified anterior inguinal paravascular block technique and its subsequent use for both local anesthetic infusion and neurolytic block of the lumbar plexus.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Mar 1998
Intrafascicular injection of ammonium sulfate and bupivacaine in peripheral nerves of neonatal and juvenile rats.
Regional nerve blocks are often used for the treatment of postoperative pain in children. Ammonium sulfate is a non-narcotic anesthetic agent, which has been reported to provide pain relief lasting days to weeks, with few reported side effects in adult studies. Prior to considering clinical use in children, the neurotoxicity of ammonium sulfate in 4-day and 3-week old rats was assessed and compared with that of bupivacaine. ⋯ Intrafascicular injection of ammonium sulfate was as safe as bupivacaine in this animal model. Further animal studies must be made before human trials are initiated.