AANA journal
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Analgesia and effectiveness of levobupivacaine compared with ropivacaine in patients undergoing an axillary brachial plexus block.
A common anesthetic technique for the upper extremity is local brachial plexus anesthesia using levobupivacaine and ropivacaine. To our knowledge, no study has been performed measuring differences in analgesic efficacy and latency when these local anesthetics are used for brachial plexus anesthesia. We enrolled 54 adults, assessed as ASA class I or II, into this double-blind, prospective investigation to receive 40 mL of 0.5% ropivacaine or levobupivacaine with 1:200,000 epinephrine. ⋯ Return of motor activity was significantly faster in the ropivacaine group (778 minutes) than in the levobupivacaine group (1,047 minutes; P = .001). No other significant differences were noted between the groups. When considering levobupivacaine and ropivacaine for brachial plexus anesthesia, levobupivacaine should be considered when postoperative analgesia is a concern but not when an early return of motor activity is required.
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The purpose of this article is to discuss the benefits, safety, and efficacy of the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) and identify the risks and misconceptions associated with LMAs when used with positive pressure ventilation (PPV). Despite the abundance of supporting evidence that LMAs may be used successfully in a variety of age groups and surgical procedures using PPV, many anesthesia providers are still reluctant to choose an LMA when PPV is needed. This reluctance emerges from the misconception that when using an LMA with mechanical ventilation, there is an increased incidence of gastric insufflation, failed ventilation, and pulmonary aspiration. When compared to other airway adjuncts, however, the LMA is a safe, effective means of delivering ventilation under anesthesia.