Paravertebral Block for Thoracic Surgery.

Unlabelled: Local anesthetic injected into a wedge-shaped space lateral to the spinal nerves as they emerge from the intervertebral foramina produces somatosensory and sympathetic nerve blockade effective for anesthesia and for managing pain of unilateral origin from the chest and abdomen. Paravertebral blockade (PVB) is versatile and may be applied unilaterally or bilaterally. Unlike thoracic epidural, the PVB technique may be used to avoid contralateral sympathectomy, thereby minimizing hypotension and leading to better preservation of blood pressure.

Central nervous system toxicity following the administration of levobupivacaine for lumbar plexus block: A report of two cases.

Background And Objectives: Central nervous system and cardiac toxicity following the administration of local anesthetics is a recognized complication of regional anesthesia. Levobupivacaine, the pure S(-) enantiomer of bupivacaine, was developed to improve the cardiac safety profile of bupivacaine. We describe 2 cases of grand mal seizures following accidental intravascular injection of levobupivacaine.

A new teaching model for resident training in regional anesthesia.

Unlabelled: The adequacy of resident education in regional anesthesia is of national concern. A teaching model to improve resident training in regional anesthesia was instituted in the Anesthesiology Residency in 1996 at Duke University Health System. The key feature of the model was the use of a CA-3 resident in the preoperative area to perform regional anesthesia techniques.