Articles: nerve-block.
-
Cahiers d'anesthésiologie · Jan 1995
[Blocking of the brachial plexus: which technique(s) should be chosen?].
Brachial plexus blocks for upper extremity surgery: what are the preferred techniques? Brachial plexus anaesthesia for all types of upper extremity surgical procedures cannot be adequately achieved with a single technique. At least, two approaches are required: above the clavicle, Winnie's interscalene brachial plexus block, using a neurostimulator, has become the standard technique for shoulder surgery. Below the clavicle, midhumerus approach is the most successful approach for elbow, fore arm and hand surgery, especially for outpatient surgery. ⋯ The supraclavicular approach using surface landmarks might be the best approach due to its efficacy in achieving complete anaesthesia of the upper extremity and the rarity of secondary displacement of the catheter. Whatever the selected approach(es) to brachial plexus nerves, nerve location it best achieved by neurostimulation and often multiple neurostimulation. Insulated needles are being increasingly used due to accuracy but, currently, there is no general agreement concerning the type of needle bevel to be preferred in regard to both safety and accuracy.
-
A new regimen for postoperative analgesia after thoracic surgery is proposed. Eight children received an interpleural infusion using bupivacaine 0.1% in a regimen from 0.5 ml.kg-1.h-1 up to 1 ml.kg-1.h-1, for 48 h according to the pain scores. The plasma levels after 24 h and 48 h were measured as well as the pleural level and in two patients the free fraction of plasma bupivacaine and the plasma PPX (a metabolite of bupivacaine) and one patient the orosomucoid (main plasma protein involved in bupivacaine protein binding) were also measured pre and postoperatively. The results shows the safety of such a regimen, for two days of postoperative analgesia.
-
Reversible functional joint disorders (joint blockages, somatic dysfunction) of the intervertebral and rib joints can be treated using manual therapy, which improves the related segmental changes in both the dorsal and the ventral area [pseudoradicular syndrome, hyperalgesia zone (HAZ)]. This phenomenon is triggered by a decrease in the heightened nociceptor irritation in the joint capsule and in the surrounding tissues. ⋯ From our results we conclude that blocking of the peripheral nociceptors, rather than of the peripheral nerve bundles, is of primary significance for the effective treatment of anterior thoracalgia.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Low and high frequency stimulation tests to characterize the effects of edrophonium on vecuronium-induced neuromuscular block.
We recorded adductor pollicis mechanical activity in response to low (0.1 and 2 Hz) and high (50 and 100 Hz) frequency stimulation 15 min after edrophonium 250, 500 and 1000 micrograms kg-1, given to antagonize vecuronium-induced block at 10, 25 and 50% pre-reversal twitch height. We studied 54 ASA class I and II anaesthetized (methohexitone, fentanyl, nitrous oxide) young adult patients allocated randomly to nine groups of six patients each. The greater sensitivity of train-of four (TOF) ratio and residual force after 100-Hz, 5-s tetanic stimulation (RF100) to residual deficit allowed discrimination more readily between the effects of edrophonium dose and pre-reversal twitch height (P < 0.001, two-way analysis of variance). The highest reversal scores (approximately 0.9 TOF ratio and 0.6 RF100) were obtained when edrophonium 500-1000 mg kg-1 was given at 50% twitch height (P < 0.05, Duncan's test).
-
Int J Clin Monit Comput · Jan 1995
Comparative StudyDouble burst monitoring during surgical degrees of neuromuscular blockade: a comparison with train-of-four.
With double burst stimulation (DBS) it is possible to monitor more profound degrees of neuromuscular blockade than with train-of-four stimulation (TOF). It may therefore be indicated to change between DBS and TOF stimulation during moderate to profound degrees of neuromuscular blockade. Consequently, the aim of the study was to evaluate and compare the twitch height of the first twitch (D1) in DBS and the twitch height of the first twitch (T1) in TOF stimulation during moderate to profound degrees of neuromuscular blockade. Thirty-three patients scheduled for gynaecological laparotomy under general anaesthesia were studied. Mechanomyography was used for neuromuscular monitoring. The T1 twitch height before atracurium was administered served as the control twitch height (T1 control). T1 control was considered as 100%. A constant degree of neuromuscular blockade was maintained at a T1 twitch height at a point between 4 and 11% of T1 control, using a continuous infusion of atracurium. Sequences of 16 DBS and 16 TOF stimulations were given. Two different DBS patterns were examined: DBS3,350/50, (3 stimuli at 50 Hz followed 0.75 sec later by 3 stimuli at 50 Hz), and DBS3,380/40, (3 stimuli at 80 Hz followed 0.75 sec later by 3 stimuli at 40 Hz). The data were analysed by the method described by Bland and Altman. The D1 repeatability coefficients of 1.72% for DBS3,350/50 and 1.20% for DBS3,380/40 were significantly greater than the repeatability coefficient of 1.02% for T1 (p <0.05). The D1 bias of 16.7% for DBS3,350/50 was significantly less than the D1 bias of 25.7% for DBS3,380/40 (p <0.05). The limits of agreement between D1 and T1 were 0.1 to 33.3% for DBS3,350/50 and 2.9 to 48.5% for DBS3,380/40. ⋯ The repeatability of responses to DBS and TOF stimulations during moderate to profound degrees of neuromuscular blockade where only one twitch is consistently present is satisfactory. The responses to DBS were greater than responses to TOF as indicated by a positive bias of DBS. The limits of agreement between DBS and TOF responses were so wide that they cannot be used interchangeably.