Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 2009
Randomized Controlled TrialUltrasound improves the success rate of a sural nerve block at the ankle.
: During ankle block performance, anesthetizing the sural nerve is important for generating complete anesthesia of the lateral aspect of the foot. We hypothesized that an ultrasound-guided perivascular approach, utilizing the lesser saphenous vein as a reference, would prove more successful than a conventional approach based on surface landmarks. ⋯ : Ultrasound guidance using the lesser saphenous vein as a reference point results in a more complete and longer lasting sural nerve block than does a traditional approach using surface landmarks.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 2009
Case ReportsInterscalene perineural catheter placement using an ultrasound-guided posterior approach.
The posterior approach to the brachial plexus--or cervical paravertebral block--has advantages over the anterolateral interscalene approach, but concerns regarding "blind" needle placement near the neuraxis have limited the acceptance of this useful technique. We present a technique to place an interscalene perineural catheter that potentially decreases neuraxial involvement with the use of ultrasound guidance. ⋯ Continuous interscalene block using an ultrasound-guided posterior approach is an alternative technique that retains the benefits of posterior catheter insertion, but potentially reduces the risk of complications that may result from blind needle insertion.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Jan 2009
Practice GuidelineThe American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and the European Society Of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy Joint Committee recommendations for education and training in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia.
Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) is a growing area of both clinical and research interest. The following document contains the work produced by a joint committee from ASRA and the European Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Therapy. ⋯ The Joint Committee recommends that the decision to grant UGRA privileges be based at the individual institution level. Each institution that conducts UGRA is encouraged to support a productive quality improvement process.