Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomized clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of ultrasound guidance versus nerve stimulation for lateral popliteal-sciatic nerve blocks in obese patients.
Ultrasound guidance may decrease the procedural time for many peripheral nerve blocks compared to nerve stimulation, but these studies have generally excluded obese patients. This single-blinded randomized clinical trial was designed to compare procedural times and related outcomes for ultrasound- versus nerve stimulation-guided lateral popliteal-sciatic nerve blockade specifically in obese patients. ⋯ The results of this study show that, for obese patients undergoing lateral popliteal-sciatic nerve blocks, ultrasound guidance reduces the procedural time and procedure-related pain and increases patient satisfaction compared to nerve stimulation while providing similar block characteristics.