Efficacy of patient-controlled infraclavicular brachial plexus block for analgesia after elbow arthrolysis / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of patient-controlled infraclavicular brachial plexus block for analgesia after elbow arthrolysis.Methods Eighty patients with elbow stiffness of both sexes, aged 18-64 yr, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ-Ⅲ, scheduled for elective elbow arthrolysis, were equally and randomly assigned to receive either the infraclavicular (Ⅰ group) or axillary (A group) brachial plexus block.All catheters were placed using ultrasound visualization preoperatively.When patients complained of pain in the recovery room after regaining consciousness, 0.2％ ropivacaine was injected via the catheter, 15 min later patient-controlled infraclavicular brachial plexus block was performed with 0.2％ ropivacaine (400 ml), and an electronic pump was set up with a 5 ml bolus dose, a 30 min lockout interval and background infusion at a rate of 5 ml/h.The patients underwent rehabilitation exercise everyday for 3 consecutive days starting from 24 h after operation.The catheter insertion time, successful block, and occurrence of moderate or severe pain (numeric rating scale [NRS] score ＞ 4) and greater inserting resistance (inserting resistance score＞ 1) during insertion, and the occurrence of paresthesia and vascular damage during insertion were recorded.NRS score was recorded at 24, 48 and 72 h after operation during rehabilitation exercise.The elbow articular range of motion was recorded at 72 h after operation, and the improvement in articular range of motion was calculated.The satisfaction with the improvement in articular range of motion (improvement ≥ 80％) and occurrence of complete improvement in articular range of motion (improvement=100％) were recorded.Catheter-related adverse reactions (such as oozing from the insertion site, obstruction, prolapse) and local anesthetics-related adverse reactions (nausea and vomiting, central nervous system toxicity) were recorded.Results The success rate of blockade was 100％ during insertion in both groups.Compared with group A, the catheter insertion time was significantly shortened, the incidence of moderate or severe pain and greater inserting resistance during insertion was decreased, the incidence of paresthesia and vascular damage during insertion was decreased, NRS score at 24 h after operation durig rehabilitation exercise was decreased, the incidence of complete improvement was increased (P＜0.05), and no significant change was found in the improvement in articular range of motion and satisfaction with the improvement in group I (P＞0.05).Conclusion Patient-controlled infraclavicular brachial plexus block can be safely and effectively used for analgesia after elbow arthrolysis, and it provides better efficacy than patient-controlled axillary brachial plexus block.