Articles: nerve-block.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparative study of the percutaneous versus intraoral technique for mental nerve block.
Mental nerve block is frequently used to aid repair of facial lacerations; both percutaneous and intraoral approaches to blocking this nerve are used, but have never been compared. The authors compared the two techniques for pain of administration and effectiveness of anesthesia. ⋯ The intraoral approach to the mental nerve block with adjunctive topical anesthesia was subjectively and objectively less painful than the percutaneous approach without adjunctive anesthesia. While the intraoral approach had a greater efficacy of lower-lip anesthesia and a longer duration of action, these differences were not statistically significant.
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Tachyphylaxis to local anesthetics has been shown to be promoted by longer interanalgesic intervals between injections. We hypothesized that thermal hyperalgesia also would accelerate the development of tachyphylaxis. The n-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist ((+)-5 methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo (a,d) cyclohepten-5,10-imine, or dizocilpine) (MK-801) has been shown to prevent thermal hyperalgesia. We therefore also hypothesized that MK-801 would prevent tachyphylaxis. ⋯ Thermal hyperalgesia accelerates the development of tachyphylaxis to rat sciatic nerve blockade, and MK-801 prevents tachyphylaxis in this model. n-Methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists may have future clinical utility in increasing the duration of effectiveness of prolonged local anesthetic administration.
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Celiac plexus neurolysis is considered an effective technique for relieving abdominal cancer pain. CT yields accurate anatomical detailing, thus allowing the indirect location of the celiac plexus and the planning of needle trajectory and positioning. September 1992 to December 1993, twenty-eight celiac plexus neurolyses for pain relief were performed in 26 patients (13 men and 13 women), 17 through the anterior and 11 through the posterior access. ⋯ Only transient orthostatic hypotension requiring no treatment developed in all our patients during the first 24 hours after the block. To conclude, we believe celiac plexus alcoholization under CT guidance to be a safe and effective technique for relieving abdominal pain due to cancer or benign conditions. We prefer the anterior approach because it is better accepted by the patients and more easily performed by the operators.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Prophylactic oral ephedrine reduces the incidence of hypotension after subarachnoid block.
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy of oral ephedrine in preventing hypotension following subarachnoid block. Two hundred women, ASA physical status I or II, undergoing lower abdominal surgery were randomly divided into two groups (n = 100 each). All patients were given routine oral premedication consisting of diazepam 10 mg and ranitidine 150 mg at bed time and at 90 min before surgery. ⋯ Despite a similar level of block (T3-T4) and i.v. fluids, the total dose of ephedrine supplement in Group I was 4.3 +/- 4.8 mg compared with 11.6 +/- 9.4 mg in Group II (P < 0.01). Also, 55 patients in Group I required intraoperative inotrope supplement compared with 83 in Group II (P < 0.01). We conclude that oral ephedrine premedication is a simple and effective way of reducing the incidence of hypotension in patients undergoing lower abdominal surgery under subarachnoid block.