Background: Regional anaesthesia use is growing worldwide, and there is an increasing emphasis on research in regional anaesthesia to improve patient outcomes. However, priorities for future study remain unclear. We therefore conducted an international research prioritisation exercise, setting the agenda for future investigators and funding bodies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSelander emphatically said, "," and those words still echo, conveying a loud and clear message that, however rare, peripheral nerve injury (PNI) remains a perturbing possibility that cannot be ignored. The unprecedented nerve injuries associated with peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) can be most tormenting for the unfortunate patient and a nightmare for the anesthetist. Possible justifications for the seemingly infrequent occurrences of PNB-related PNIs include a lack of documentation/reporting, improper aftercare, or associated legal implications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF"Prevention is always better than cure." However, despite all precautions or preventive measures, sometimes patients develop neurodeficits due to suspected nerve injury in the perioperative period. Assessment and evaluation of the patient's symptoms can provide clues to the causative factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe consideration of regional analgesia (RA) in below-knee surgeries is always a controversial topic due to the fear of masking symptoms of developing compartment syndrome (CS) in the postoperative period. Compartment syndrome (CS) has been found frequently in below-knee surgeries, particularly among tibial diaphyseal fractures. Like any other surgery, below-knee surgeries have significant postoperative pain that requires effective postoperative analgesia protocol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSacral surgeries are a relatively rare type of spine surgery associated with a significant amount of perioperative pain. The paraspinal interfascial or erector spinae plane block is currently being practiced with promising results in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine surgeries. It provides not only effective analgesia but also helps in reducing perioperative opioid consumption.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAcetabular fractures are uncommon types of pelvic fractures associated with restricted mobility due to severe pain. The high analgesic demands can be fulfilled by using multimodal analgesia incorporating regional analgesia. The choice of regional analgesia technique depends on the type of acetabular fracture and innervation of the affected components.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBelow-knee surgeries are among the most commonly performed orthopedic or plastic and reconstructive procedures. They are associated with significant postoperative pain despite the use of systemic analgesics. The regional analgesia (RA) technique has been proven beneficial for better patient outcomes when used as an adjunct to multimodal analgesia in the early postoperative period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe sciatic nerve block in the popliteal fossa is a popular lower extremity block for below-knee surgeries. Here the sciatic nerve is targated at or just above the point of its divergence into the tibial and common peroneal nerves. Amongst the described techniques, the supine approach of popliteal fossa block offers greatest patient comfort but has a few challenges accessing the nerve.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Clin Anesth
October 2021
Background And Aims: Regional anaesthesia techniques are a part of perioperative medicine that affects both perioperative and long-term outcomes. We have a paucity of the data on the usage and practices of plexus and peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first effort to validate a survey for plexus and PNBs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA 40-year-old healthy male patient underwent open reduction and internal fixation with screws and plate for a comminuted fracture of the right scapula under ultrasound-guided "scapular block" with optimal sedation. We coined the term "scapular block" for an innovative combination of previously described regional anesthesia techniques to cover all dermatomes, myotomes, and osteotomes involved in scapula surgery. It is a combination of 5 target blocks (selective superior trunk block, selective supraclavicular nerve block, subclavian perivascular block, suprascapular nerve block, and erector spinae plane block) via 3 approaches (interscalene, supraclavicular, and paraspinal).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite being scientifically unproven, aerosol boxes have quickly risen in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been created in various shapes and sizes, as well as materials across the world. Aerosol boxes offer a transparent barrier between the patient and the healthcare personnel, during intubation and may prove to be useful when prescribed protection equipment such as masks and eyewear are unavailable.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGorham's syndrome (GS) is a rare disorder characterized by proliferation of vascular channels resulting in destruction and resorption of osseous matrix leading to bone loss. Bone loss leads to joint instability and problems during airway management and positioning for surgery. Respiratory involvement further complicates anaesthesia management.
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