OBJECTIVE To investigate the feasibility of a non-stimulation needle with an external indwelling cannula for upper-limb surgery and acute postoperative pain management. METHODS 62 patients undergoing either scheduled or emergency upper-limb surgery received brachial plexus block of modified interscalene or axillary brachial and then postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with local ...

There are multiple sites at which the brachial plexus block can be induced in selecting regional anesthesia for upper extremity surgical patients. The most frequently used blocks are axillary, infraclavicular, supraclavicular, and interscalene. One must understand brachial plexus anatomy to use these blocks effectively, as well as the practical clinical differences between the blocks. Axillary ...

PURPOSE Change in the landscape of medical education coupled with a paradigm shift toward outcome-based training mandates the trainee to demonstrate specific predefined performance benchmarks in order to progress through training. A valid and reliable assessment tool is a prerequisite for this process. The objective of this study was to characterize ultrasound-guided axillary brachial plexus bl...

Axillary artery pulsations serve as a landmark for clinical procedures like brachial plexus block and subclavian vein puncture. Axillary artery is also increasingly being utilized as a graft for coronary artery bypass. The present article reports a rare case of axillary artery variation. In this case, gross deviation from the normal anatomy was observed in an adult embalmed cadaver. Axillary ve...

PURPOSE The aim of this study is to apply combination of axillary plexus block with "selective" injection of nerves and continuous catheter technique, and to compare the anesthetic and postoperative analgesic effects of bupivacaine and levobupivacaine. METHODS In 30 scheduled patients for unilateral hand or forearm surgery, an axillary brachial plexus block with "selective" injection of nerve...

BACKGROUND Bicarbonate, as an adjunct increasing the non-ionized form of local anesthetics, can reduce latency and prolong duration of regional nerve block. Warming of local anesthetics decreases pKa and also increases the non-ionized form of local anesthetics. We warmed ropivacaine to body temperature (37℃) and evaluated the sensory block onset time, motor block onset time and analgesic durati...