Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Suprascapular nerve blockade (SSNB) is a simple and safe technique for providing relief from various types of shoulder pain, including rheumatologic disorders, cancer, and trauma pain, and postoperative pain due to shoulder arthroscopy. Posterior, superior, and anterior approaches may be used, the most common being the posterior. ⋯ The different techniques of SSNB and indications for SSNB will be discussed. The complications of SSNB and outcomes of SSNB on the management of acute and chronic shoulder pain will be reviewed.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2011
Comparative StudyOptical detection of the brachial plexus for peripheral nerve blocks: an in vivo swine study.
Accurate identification of nerves is critical to ensure safe and effective delivery of regional anesthesia during peripheral nerve blocks. Nerve stimulation is commonly used, but it is not perfect. Even when nerve stimulation is performed in conjunction with ultrasound guidance, determining when the needle tip is at the nerve target region can be challenging. In this in vivo pilot study, we investigated whether close proximity to the brachial plexus and penetration of the axillary artery can be identified with optical reflectance spectroscopy, using a custom needle stylet with integrated optical fibers. ⋯ Spectroscopic information obtained with the optical needle is distinct from nerve stimulation and complementary to ultrasound imaging, and it could potentially allow for reliable identification of the injection site during peripheral nerve blocks.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyLateral versus medial needle approach for ultrasound-guided supraclavicular block: a randomized controlled trial.
When performing a supraclavicular brachial plexus block (SCB) under ultrasound (US) guidance, the needle may approach the nerves in-plane with the US beam from 1 of 2 directions relative to the transducer, lateral-to-medial (lateral) or medial-to-lateral (medial). We aimed to compare the rates of sensory and motor block of the 4 major peripheral nerves of the upper extremity following a lateral or medial needle approach for US-guided SCB. ⋯ The rates of sensory and motor block of all 4 major peripheral nerves of the upper extremity did not differ at any time following a lateral compared with medial needle approach for US-guided SCB. Regardless of needle approach, the rate of ulnar nerve sensory block was less compared with the other peripheral nerves following US-guided SCB.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2011
Comparative StudyEchotexture and correlated histologic analysis of peripheral nerves important in regional anesthesia.
Peripheral nerves in different body locations display different echotextures on ultrasound imaging, and knowledge of peripheral nerve echotexture is helpful for locating target nerves. However, the degree of echogenicity is often difficult to characterize. We aimed to define objectively the degree of echogenicity of peripheral nerves using grayscale measurements and compare nerve echotexture with matched histologic samples. ⋯ This study suggests that grayscales can be used to objectively determine echogenicity and shows that grayscale measurements match well with subjective visual grading. Histologic analysis showed that both ratio of total fascicular area to whole nerve area and fascicular pattern are important determinants of echogenicity.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jul 2011
Comparative StudyChanges in anesthesia-related factors in ambulatory knee and shoulder surgery: United States 1996-2006.
Analyses of existing nationally representative information on how changes in ambulatory orthopedic surgery have affected anesthesia practice over time are rare. We sought to characterize temporal changes in factors surrounding ambulatory orthopedic surgery and anesthesia. ⋯ Substantial increases in the number of ambulatory knee and shoulder procedures occurred over time, relating to increased demand for anesthesia providers in this field. Trends toward increased use of peripheral nerve blocks may have to be considered by educators when preparing residents for practice.