The emergence level of the musculocutaneous nerve from the brachial plexus: implications for infraclavicular nerve blocks.

Background: In this cadaveric study we assessed the level of the emergence of the musculocutanous nerve (MCN) relative to needle insertion site during infraclavicular block.

Methods: Forty brachial plexi from 20 embalmed adult cadavers were dissected. The MCN was exposed from its origin on the lateral cord to its penetration into the coracobrachialis muscle.

Postoperative analgesia after total hip arthroplasty: patient-controlled analgesia versus transdermal fentanyl patch.

Study Objective: To determine whether a new transdermal fentanyl patch (TFP) is a good choice for the postoperative pain management of patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty compared with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).

Design: Randomized, prospective study.

Setting: University hospital.

Migraine with atypical aura in the recovery room: a sometimes complicated diagnosis!

Migraine is a frequent neurological pathology. However, the diagnosis can be difficult to establish, especially when it is accompanied with an atypical aura that can be confounded with a stroke. We describe a case of 38-yr-old patient who presented just after general anesthesia with a perioperative acute migraine with atypical aura which was wrongly treated as a serious cerebral stroke.

The paramedian technique: a superior initial approach to continuous spinal anesthesia in the elderly.

Background: Spinal anesthesia in elderly patients is frequently associated with significant technical difficulties. Thus, we compared the classical midline approach to the paramedian approach to perform continuous spinal anesthesia (CSA).

Methods: We prospectively studied 40 patients aged >75 yr who underwent open surgical repair of a hip fracture.