Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · May 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialEfficacy of vertical infraclavicular plexus block vs. modified axillary plexus block: a prospective, randomized, observer-blinded study.
Despite containing severe risks, infraclavicular approaches to the brachial plexus gained increasing popularity. Likewise, the vertical infraclavicular plexus block improved anesthesia compared to the standard axillary approach but contains the risk of pneumothorax. Therefore we modified the standard axillary technique by inserting a proximal directed catheter, referred to as a high axillary plexus block. We prospectively compared quality and onset of neural blockade after vertical infraclavicular plexus block (VIP) and high axillary plexus block (HAP) in two randomized groups (30 patients in each). ⋯ While both techniques provide sufficient surgical anesthesia, vertical infraclavicular plexus block demonstrated a partially higher success rate and a faster onset than high axillary plexus block.