Articles: nerve-block.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Feb 1995
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialMonitoring the onset of neuromuscular block at the orbicularis oculi can predict good intubating conditions during atracurium-induced neuromuscular block.
This study was designed to assess whether monitoring the orbicularis oculi (OO) can predict good tracheal intubating conditions. Fifty patients, ASA grade I or II were studied. Anesthesia was induced with thiopental (5 mg/kg) and fentanyl (3 micrograms/kg). ⋯ Endotracheal intubating conditions were comparable in both groups: good or excellent after 0.5 mg/kg. After 0.3 mg/kg, complete block was achieved only 2/20 at the OO and 12/20 at the AP. Intubating conditions were comparable in both groups: poor or inadequate, except in the two patients with complete OO block, for whom conditions were good.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
-
Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand · Feb 1995
Clinical TrialParacervical block--a viable alternative for labor pain relief?
Two hundred and forty-eight consecutive deliveries with a 0.25% bupivacaine paracervical block (PCB) using a superficial injection technique were studied prospectively during the progress of labor in the three month study period. Parturients with signs of fetal distress were excluded. Pain level and the maternal, fetal and neonatal effects related to PCB were evaluated. ⋯ PCB in selected parturients with a low-dose superficial technique has been shown to be an effective analgesic modality with minimal fetal and neonatal side-effects, but post-blockade fetal bradycardia cannot be wholly eliminated.
-
Recent case reports suggest there may be an increased risk of abnormally high blockade ("high spinal") from subarachnoid anesthesia if it is performed immediately after epidural anesthesia. We describe two cases of high spinal anesthesia following failed epidural block in obstetric patients scheduled for cesarean delivery. Using a retrospective chart review, we estimate the incidence of high spinal anesthesia to be 11% in patients after prior failed epidural blockade versus fewer than 1% in patients undergoing spinal anesthesia alone.
-
Six patients undergoing paravertebral blocks for chronically painful conditions of the chest wall were thermographically imaged so that the extent of cutaneous vasodilatation and hence sympathetic block could be correlated with the distribution of the somatic block. All blocks were performed by a single experienced operator, with a single percutaneous entry, using 15 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine at a mean level of T9-10 (range T7-8--T10-11), with radiological confirmation of correct needle placement. There was a mean distribution of the somatic block of five dermatomes (range 1-8), as evidenced by loss of pinprick sensation, with upper and lower limits of T6 and L3. ⋯ No significant postural changes in blood pressures were seen, although there was a small but significant decrease in supine heart rate (p = 0.05). This study demonstrates that a large unilateral somatic and sympathetic block is obtainable with a single thoracic percutaneous paravertebral injection. It challenges the suggestions that this method of analgesia is ineffective and hazardous, that a sympathetic component is a rare accompaniment and that the lumbar nerve roots are spared.
-
Pipecuronium Bromide (Arduan, Organon, Inc, West Orange) is a long-acting, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agent. The efficacy of pyridostigmine 170 micrograms/kg intravenously (approximately 10 mg/70 kg) for reversing pipecuronium has not been reported. This study was performed to determine the time required to obtain a train-of-four (TOF) ratio of 0.7 after administration of pyridostigmine 140 micrograms/kg at 25% recovery of T1 after pipecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade. ⋯ Anesthesia was maintained with a nitrous oxide/narcotic technique and the use of potent inhalational anesthetics was avoided. The mean reversal time was found to be 16.14 minutes, with a minimum of 10.3 minutes and a maximum of 24.3 minutes. The standard error was +/- 1.05 minutes with a variance of 17.68 minutes.