Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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In neuraxial anesthesia, increase of skin temperature is an early sign of successful block. Yet, during peripheral nerve block of the lower extremity, increase in skin temperature is a highly sensitive, but late sign of a successful block. We hypothesized that after interscalene brachial plexus block, a rise in skin temperature follows impairment of sensation during successful nerve block and occurs only distally, as observed in the lower extremity. ⋯ Assessment of skin temperature cannot predict the success of an interscalene brachial plexus block of the axillary and musculocutaneous nerve. Distally, the increase of skin temperature has a high sensitivity and specificity but occurs later than the loss of sensory and motor functions. Therefore, the measurement of skin temperature during interscalene blockade is of limited clinical value.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2007
Case ReportsThree-dimensional, multiplanar, ultrasound-guided, radial nerve block.
We describe the use of 3-dimensional, multiplanar ultrasound imaging for peripheral nerve block. ⋯ Three-dimensional, multiplanar ultrasound in real-time has the potential to improve nerve identification and accuracy of needle placement in regional anesthesia.