Hemidiaphragmatic paralysis following ultrasound-guided supraclavicular versus infraclavicular brachial plexus blockade: a randomized clinical trial.

Background And Objectives: The comparative incidences of hemidiaphragmatic paralysis associated with contemporary ultrasound-guided supraclavicular versus infraclavicular blockade have not received extensive study. We tested the hypothesis that the infraclavicular approach results in a lower incidence of hemidiaphragmatic paralysis compared with supraclavicular blockade when a standard local anesthetic volume and concentration are used.

Methods: With institutional human ethics board approval, we enrolled 64 patients undergoing right-sided upper extremity surgery in a randomized, blinded, parallel-group trial.