0.5% levobupivacaine versus 0.5% ropivacaine: Are they different in ultrasound-guided sciatic block?

Context And Aims: Little is known about onset and duration of sciatic block after 0.5% levobupivacaine (Levo) versus 0.5% ropivacaine (Ropi) for ultrasound-guided technique.

Preoperative moderate renal impairment is an independent risk factor of transfusion in elderly patients undergoing hip fracture surgery and receiving low-molecular-weight heparin for thromboprophylaxis.

Study Objective: To define the risk factors of allogeneic erythrocyte transfusion in patients older than 65 years of age who underwent hip fracture surgery.

Design: Retrospective, single-center study.

Setting: Orthopedic unit of a university hospital.

Is there any need for expanding the perineural space before catheter placement in continuous femoral nerve blocks?

Background And Objective: There is debate regarding the benefit of perineural space expansion before catheter placement in continuous femoral nerve block. This question is addressed in this prospective, comparative, and randomized study.

Methods: Sixty patients scheduled for total knee replacement were randomly assigned to receive continuous femoral nerve block with or without perineural space expansion using 10 mL dextrose 5% in water (D5W) flush before stimulation-guided catheter placement.