Regional anesthesia and pain medicine
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2007
Modified lateral block of the suprascapular nerve: a safe approach and how much to inject? A morphological study.
This paper presents an evaluation of a modified lateral suprascapular nerve block with easy orientation, low risk of displacement of the needle, and with an assessment of 2 different volumes to propose an ideal volume for a successful block. ⋯ Based on this cadaver study, the lateral modified approach appears to be a safe technique for a suprascapular nerve block, which might be preferred as a single shot technique. A 5 mL volume appears sufficient to fill the supraspinous fossa and to reach the suprascapular nerve, which branches in this anatomical compartment.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2007
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyPostoperative epidural analgesia after total knee arthroplasty with sufentanil 1 microg/ml combined with ropivacaine 0.2%, ropivacaine 0.125%, or levobupivacaine 0.125%: a randomized, double-blind comparison.
Total knee replacement is associated with severe postoperative pain that, if treated insufficiently, interferes with early rehabilitation. The purpose of the present study is to compare the efficacy of ropivacaine (0.2% and 0.125%) and levobupivacaine (0.125%), all in combination with sufentanil 1 microg/mL with regard to postoperative pain relief and absence of motor block in a patient-controlled epidural analgesia setting. ⋯ All 3 solutions provided adequate analgesia and minimal motor block. The higher concentration of ropivacaine 0.2% was associated with a higher consumption of local anesthetic and did not result in a decrease in the consumption of sufentanil. Under the conditions of this study, patient-controlled epidural analgesia consumption of the epidural mixture was predominantly determined by sufentanil.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2007
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of lumbar flexion on the extent of epidural blockade.
This study examined the effect of lumbar flexion on the extent of the epidural block during lumbar epidural anesthesia. ⋯ Lumbar flexion has no clinically relevant effect on sensory spread during epidural anesthesia.
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Reg Anesth Pain Med · Nov 2007
Case ReportsBee stings--a remedy for postherpetic neuralgia? A case report.
This case report describes the effects of bee stings on painful postherpetic neuralgia in a 51-year-old man. ⋯ Bee venom and bee sting therapy have been shown to have both antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties, which may explain why the bee stings relieved the patient's postherpetic neuralgia. Bee sting or bee venom therapy should be further investigated as a potential treatment modality for postherpetic neuralgia.