Regional blockade of the shoulder: approaches and outcomes.

The article reviews the current literature regarding shoulder anesthesia and analgesia. Techniques and outcomes are presented that summarize our present understanding of regional anesthesia for the shoulder. Shoulder procedures producing mild to moderate pain may be managed with a single-injection interscalene block.

Regional anesthesia procedures for shoulder and upper arm surgery upper extremity update--2005 to present.

This review of the literature since 2005 assesses developments of RA techniques commonly used for shoulder surgery, and their effectiveness for postoperative analgesia. Advantages of regional techniques include site-specific anesthesia and decreased postoperative opioid use. For shoulder surgeries, the ISB provides effective analgesia with minimal complications, whereas the impacts of IA single-injections remain unclear.

Peripheral nerve blocks for intraoperative management in patients with hemophilia A.

The use of peripheral nerve blocks as the sole anesthetic, augmented with mild sedation for intraoperative management of surgery on the ankle and knee in two hemophiliac patients, is presented. Peripheral nerve blocks may be safely used for surgery of the extremities in a patient with moderate to severe hemophilia, provided a safe level of Factor VIII is maintained throughout the perioperative period.

Inability to ventilate the lungs of a patient with tracheal anomaly and in prone position.

We present the case of an otherwise asymptomatic patient with a rare congenital airway abnormality of the tracheobronchial tree, who developed a complete airway obstruction after being placed in the prone position. The tracheal bronchus, accessory bronchus arising from the trachea superior to its bifurcation at the carina, was identified by fiberoptic bronchoscopic examination. An endotracheal tube can migrate into a tracheal bronchus causing pulmonary atelectasis, hypoxia, or both.