Axillary block complicated by hematoma and radial nerve injury.

Background And Objectives: Hematoma is typically cited as one mechanism of nerve injury following axillary block. However, documented cases of this are lacking.

Methods: A healthy 38-year-old man was scheduled for surgical removal of a tumor of the hand.

Intrathecal fentanyl with small-dose dilute bupivacaine: better anesthesia without prolonging recovery.

Unlabelled: Recent concern regarding lidocaine neurotoxicity has prompted efforts to find alternatives to lidocaine spinal anesthesia. Small-dose dilute bupivacaine spinal anesthesia yields a comparably rapid recovery profile but may provide insufficient anesthesia. By exploiting the synergism between intrathecal opioids and local anesthetics, it may be possible to augment the spinal anesthesia without prolonging recovery.

Spinal bupivacaine in ambulatory surgery: the effect of saline dilution.

The safety of lidocaine spinal anesthesia has recently been called into question by reports of both permanent and transient neurologic toxicity. This study explored the possibility of adapting the longer acting spinal bupivacaine to ambulatory surgery. Sixty patients presenting for ambulatory arthroscopy were randomized to four groups receiving the following spinal anesthetics: Group I (15 mg bupivacaine), 3 mL of 0.

The combination of morphine with local anaesthetic in rhinoplasty--no evidence of a peripheral morphine effect.

Background: The recognition of a peripheral opioid action has prompted a number of clinical reports demonstrating a prolonged analgesic effect of peripheral opiate. As most studies have used a model of intraarticular instillation of narcotic we examined direct morphine infiltration of the surgical site in a unique clinical model.

Methods: Sixty patients undergoing primary rhinoplasty were entered into this prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

The routine wearing of gloves: impact on the frequency of needlestick and percutaneous injury and on surface contamination in the operating room.

The impact of wearing gloves on surface contamination and on the incidence of percutaneous injury were prospectively compared for two 4-mo periods in a single anesthesia department. Period I was immediately prior to the institution of mandatory glove wearing, and Period II followed a 1-mo adjustment period of mandatory glove use. Recording of all needlestick and other percutaneous injuries was performed on an ongoing basis, and incident reporting was actively and regularly solicited.