Bilateral continuous paravertebral catheters for reduction mammoplasty.

Surgical procedures of the breast can result in significant postoperative pain. Paravertebral nerve blocks have been used successfully in the management of analgesia after breast surgery but are limited by a single injection. This report describes the use of bilateral paravertebral catheters to provide extended analgesia for reduction mammoplasty. A 48-year-old female underwent bilateral paravertebral catheter placement at thoracic level 3 and local anesthetic injections followed by general anesthesia for elective reduction mammoplasty. She reported no pain following the operation and required no supplemental opioids for pain management during her overnight recovery. This case demonstrates a method for extended bilateral thoracic analgesia. The technique may offer an alternative to traditional outpatient analgesics for reduction mammoplasty.

Interscalene brachial plexus block with continuous intraarticular infusion of ropivacaine.

Providing intraarticular analgesia with a continuous infusion of local anesthetic via a disposable infusion pump has gained popularity. Despite the prevalence of this technique, data comparing this method of analgesia to conventional regional anesthesia are not available. We present a prospective study that compared a single-dose interscalene block with a single-dose interscalene block plus continuous intraarticular infusion of local anesthetic. Forty patients scheduled for shoulder arthroscopy were entered in this prospective, double-blinded study. All patients received an interscalene brachial plexus block as their primary anesthetic. Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: 1. interscalene block with 1.5% mepivacaine (40 mL) followed by a postoperative intraarticular infusion of 0.5% ropivacaine at 2 mL/h, or 2. interscalene block with 0.5% ropivacaine (40 mL) followed by a postoperative intraarticular infusion of 0.9% saline (placebo) at 2 mL/h. Postoperative infusions were maintained for 48 h. Visual analog scale pain scores and postoperative oxycodone consumption were measured for 48 h. Visual analog scale scores at rest and with ambulation in the Mepivacaine/Intraarticular Ropivacaine group were reduced when compared with the Ropivacaine/Saline group (rest: P = 0.003, ambulation: P = 0.006). Oxycodone consumption was also decreased (28 +/- 21 mg vs 44 +/- 28 mg, P = 0.046), respectively. We conclude that a brachial plexus block with 1.5% mepivacaine and a continuous intraarticular infusion of 0.5% ropivacaine at 2 mL/h provides improved analgesia for minor surgery at 24 and 48 h versus a single-injection interscalene block with 0.5% ropivacaine.

Ambulatory surgery for multi-ligament knee reconstruction with continuous dual catheter peripheral nerve blockade.

PURPOSE: Major reconstructive surgery of the knee traditionally requires an extended hospital stay for pain management. Continuous peripheral nerve blockade is an alternative method of pain control but is seldom used in the ambulatory setting. This case illustrates the use of lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve peripheral catheters for major knee surgery using intermittent bolus dosing for outpatient analgesia. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 20-yr-old male presented for multi-ligamentous knee reconstruction (posterior collateral ligament and revision anterior collateral ligament and lateral collateral ligament). Anesthesia was managed with a lumbar plexus and a sciatic nerve peripheral catheter and a light general anesthetic. Post-operative analgesia was provided with a 12-hr infusion of 0.2% ropivacaine in an over night recovery care centre. Subsequent catheter dosing was performed as an outpatient, twice a day using 0.2% ropivacaine, 10 ml in each catheter (four injections total). This provided 96 hr of analgesia and low supplemental opioid use. CONCLUSION: The use of a lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve peripheral catheter offered an alternative to conventional pain control that worked well in the ambulatory setting. By providing prolonged unilateral lower limb analgesia, extensive knee surgery was performed that would normally require a hospital stay for pain control. Using a bolus dosing method the risk of local anesthetic complications occurring outside of the hospital with a continuous infusion was minimized.

Continuous peripheral nerve block for ambulatory surgery.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Continuous peripheral nerve block (CPNB) can provide surgical anesthesia, prolonged postoperative analgesia, and acceptable side effects. Despite these advantages, CPNB is not in widespread use. Recently a new CPNB catheter system (Contiplex, B. Braun, Bethlehem, PA) was developed based on an insulated Tuohy needle, which allows for injection of local anesthetic and catheter insertion without disconnection or needle movement. At present, no clinical studies exist describing this system. METHODS: Data were prospectively gathered for 1 year from 228 patients in an ambulatory surgery center. All CPNB were performed using the Contiplex system to provide anesthesia and postoperative analgesia. CPNB were performed using 5 upper and lower extremity techniques. Postsurgery local anesthetic was infused and at 24 hours, a rebolus of local anesthetic was performed. The CPNB catheter was removed and patients were examined for loss of sensation. Patients were then discharged. RESULTS: Initial peripheral block was successful in 94% of patients. Failed nerve block requiring general anesthesia occurred in 6%. The catheter was patent and functional in 90% of patients at 24 hours, and 8% of patients required more than 10 mg of intravenous morphine by 24 hours postsurgery. In the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), only 4 patients (1.7%) required treatment for nausea. At 24 hours and 7 days postsurgery, no patient reported a dysesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: CPNB using the insulated Tuohy catheter system offered acceptable anesthesia and prolonged pain relief postsurgery. There were few side effects. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2001;26:209-214.

Management of outpatient orthopedic surgery.

The past few years have witnessed tremendous growth in the number and complexity of orthopedic surgical procedures performed on an outpatient basis. Despite these advances, postoperative pain remains a significant problem that may limit further expansion of outpatient orthopedic surgery. Regional anesthesia plays an important role in day case surgery facilitating fast-tracking, accelerating discharge, reducing unexpected hospital admissions, and providing prolonged pain relief. Continuous peripheral nerve blockade, now possible in this setting, provides excellent perioperative care, with high patient satisfaction and improved rehabilitation scores.

Interscalene brachial plexus block with a continuous catheter insertion system and a disposable infusion pump.

Continuous interscalene brachial plexus blockade traditionally requires a hospital stay for local anesthetic infusion, and achieving consistent catheter insertion may be difficult. Incorporating long-acting pain relief from a continuous peripheral nerve block, with a reliable method of catheter insertion, and a self-contained infusion system would be a valuable asset for short-stay care. We compared the efficacy of single injection interscalene brachial plexus blockade to a continuous peripheral nerve block, with an insulated Tuohy system and a disposable infusion pump. Forty adult patients scheduled for open rotator cuff repair were entered in this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study. Patients received an interscalene brachial plexus blockade and a continuous peripheral nerve catheter as their primary anesthetic and then, were assigned to receive one of two different postoperative infusions: either 0.2% ropivacaine at 10 mL/h via a disposable infusion pump or normal saline at 10 mL/h via a disposable infusion pump (n = 18-20 per group). Visual analog pain scores and postoperative morphine consumption were measured for 24 h. The ropivacaine group showed less pain than the placebo group (P: = 0.0001) between 12 and 24 h after the initial injection of local anesthetic. In addition, initial interscalene blockade was successful in all patients and all redosed catheters were functional after 24 h with the continuous catheter insertion system. We conclude that it is possible to achieve a high rate of successful catheter placement and analgesia by using the continuous catheter insertion system and a disposable infusion pump in the ambulatory setting. This method of analgesia may offer improved pain relief after outpatient rotator cuff repair.

Thoracic paravertebral block for breast surgery.

UNLABELLED: Cosmetic and reconstructive breast augmentation is a frequently performed surgical procedure. Despite advances in medical treatment, surgical intervention is often associated with postoperative pain, nausea, and vomiting. Paravertebral nerve block (PVB) has the potential to offer long-lasting pain relief and fewer postoperative side effects when used for breast surgery. We compared thoracic PVB with general anesthesia for cosmetic breast surgery in a single-blinded, prospective, randomized study of 60 women scheduled for unilateral or bilateral breast augmentation or reconstruction. Patients were assigned (n = 30 per group) to receive a standardized general anesthetic (GA) or thoracic PVB (levels T1-7). Procedural data were collected, as well as verbal and visual analog pain and nausea scores. Verbal postoperative pain scores were significantly lower in the PVB group at 30 min (P = 0.0005), 1 h (P = 0.0001), and 24 h (P = 0.04) when compared with GA. Nausea was less severe in the PVB group at 24 h (P = 0.04), but not at 30 min or 1 h. We conclude that PVB is an alternative technique for cosmetic breast surgery that may offer superior pain relief and decreased nausea to GA alone. IMPLICATIONS: Paravertebral nerve block has the potential to offer long-lasting pain relief and few postoperative side effects when used for breast surgery. We demonstrated that paravertebral nerve block, when compared with general anesthesia, is an alternative technique for breast surgery that may offer pain relief superior to general anesthesia alone.

In vivo diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance microscopy of rat spinal cord: effect of ischemia and intrathecal hyperbaric 5% lidocaine.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying persistent neurologic deficits after continuous spinal anesthesia using hyperbaric 5% lidocaine are still not well understood. It has been suggested that high-dose intrathecal lidocaine induces irreversible conduction block and even ischemia in white matter tracts by breakdown of the blood-nerve barrier. In this study, we use diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance microscopy to characterize the effect of intrathecal hyperbaric 5% lidocaine in rat spinal cord. The parameter measured with DWM, is an "apparent diffusion coefficient," (ADC), which can be used to exclude the presence of ischemia. METHODS: Female Fischer CDF rats were used. Group 1 (n = 5) was exposed to ischemia, group 2 (n = 7) was exposed to intrathecal 5% hyperbaric lidocaine, and group 3 (n = 5) was exposed to intrathecal 7.5% glucose. Diffusion-weighted MR images in group 1 were acquired before and after ischemia induced by cardiac arrest and in groups 2 and 3 rats prior to and during perfusion of the spinal catheter with either 5% hyperbaric lidocaine or 7.5% glucose. RESULTS: Ischemia decreased the ADC by 40% in gray matter and by 30% in white matter of spinal cord. Continuous intrathecal anesthesia with hyperbaric 5% lidocaine did not affect the spinal cord ADC. Further, 7.5% intrathecal glucose had no effect on ADCs in gray or white matter of spinal cord. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemia reduced the ADC in both spinal cord white and gray matter. Hyperbaric 5% lidocaine did not affect the spinal cord ADC during the first 1.5 hours. We suggest that 5% hyperbaric lidocaine does not induce irreversible neurologic deficits by causing spinal cord ischemia.

A comparison of 0.5% bupivacaine, 0.5% ropivacaine, and 0.75% ropivacaine for interscalene brachial plexus block.

UNLABELLED: The onset time and duration of action of ropivacaine during an interscalene block are not known. The potentially improved safety profile of ropivacaine may allow the use of higher concentrations to try and speed onset time. We compared bupivacaine and ropivacaine to determine the optimal long-acting local anesthetic and concentration for interscalene brachial plexus block. Seventy-five adult patients scheduled for outpatient shoulder surgery under interscalene block were entered into this double-blind, randomized study. Patients were assigned (n = 25 per group) to receive an interscalene block using 30 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine, 0.5% ropivacaine, or 0.75% ropivacaine. All solutions contained fresh epinephrine in a 1:400,000 concentration. At 1-min intervals after local anesthetic injection, patients were assessed to determine loss of shoulder abduction and loss of pinprick in the C5-6 dermatomes. Before discharge, patients were asked to document the time of first oral narcotic use, when incisional discomfort began, and when full sensation returned to the shoulder. The mean onset time of both motor and sensory blockade was <6 min in all groups. Duration of sensory blockade was similar in all groups as defined by the three recovery measures. We conclude that there is no clinically important difference in times to onset and recovery of interscalene block for bupivacaine 0.5%, ropivacaine 0.5%, and ropivacaine 0.75% when injected in equal volumes. IMPLICATIONS: In this study, we demonstrated a similar efficacy between equal concentrations of ropivacaine and bupivacaine. In addition, increasing the concentration of ropivacaine from 0.5% to 0.75% fails to improve the onset or duration of interscalene brachial plexus block.

Use of paravertebral block anesthesia in the surgical management of breast cancer: experience in 156 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To assess safety and efficacy of the regional anesthetic technique paravertebral block for operative treatment of breast cancer, and to compare postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing breast surgery using paravertebral block and general anesthesia. BACKGROUND: General anesthesia is currently the standard technique used for surgical treatment of breast cancer. Increasing hospital costs have focused attention on reducing the length of hospital stay for these patients. However, the side effects and complications of general anesthesia preclude ambulatory surgery for most patients undergoing breast surgery. In April 1994, the authors initiated the use of paravertebral block anesthesia for patients undergoing primary breast cancer surgery. A review of our early experience revealed that this regional anesthetic technique enables effective anesthesia for operative procedures of the breast and axilla, reduces postoperative nausea and vomiting, and provides prolonged postoperative sensory block that minimizes narcotic requirements. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 145 consecutive patients undergoing 156 breast cancer operations using paravertebral block and 100 patients undergoing general anesthesia during a 2-year period was performed. Anesthetic effectiveness and complications, inpatient experience with postoperative pain, nausea, vomiting, and length of stay were measured. RESULTS: Surgery was successfully completed in 85% of the cases attempted by using paravertebral block alone, and in 91% of the cases, surgery was completed by using paravertebral block supplemented with local anesthetic. There was a 2.6% incidence of complications associated with block placement. Twenty percent of patients in the paravertebral group required medication for nausea and vomiting during their hospital stay compared with 39% in the general anesthesia group. Narcotic analgesia was required in 98% of general anesthesia patients, as opposed to 25% of patients undergoing paravertebral block. Ninety-six percent of patients having paravertebral block anesthesia were discharged within the day of surgery, compared with 76% of patients who had a general anesthetic. CONCLUSIONS: Paravertebral block can be used to perform major operations for breast cancer with minimal complications and a low rate of conversion to general anesthesia. Paravertebral block markedly improves the quality of recovery after breast cancer surgery and provides the patient with the option of ambulatory discharge.

Lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve block for knee arthroplasty: comparison of ropivacaine and bupivacaine.

PURPOSE: Information about the onset time and duration of action of ropivacaine during a combined lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve block is not available. This study compares bupivacaine and ropivacaine to determine the optimal long-acting local anaesthetic for lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve block in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Forty adult patients scheduled for unilateral total knee arthroplasty, under lumbar plexus and sciatic block were entered into this double-blind randomized study. Patients were assigned (20 per group) to receive lumbar plexus block using 30 ml of local anaesthetic and a sciatic nerve block using 15 ml of local anaesthetic with either bupivacaine 0.5% or ropivacaine 0.5%. All solutions contained fresh epinephrine in a 1:400,000 concentration. Every one minute after local anaesthetic injection, patients were assessed to determine loss of motor function and loss of pinprick sensation in the L1-S1 dermatomes. The time to request first analgesic was documented from the PCA pump. This time was used as evidence of block regression. RESULTS: Blocks failed in four patients in each group. The mean onset time of both motor and sensory blockade was between 14 and 18 min in both groups. Duration of sensory blockade was longer in the bupivacaine group, 17 +/- 3 hr, than in the ropivacaine group, 13 +/- 2 hr (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: We conclude that bupivacaine 0.5% and ropivacaine 0.5% have a similar onset of motor and sensory blockade when used for lumbar plexus and sciatic nerve block. Analgesic duration from bupivacaine 0.5% was prolonged by four hours compared with an equal volume of ropivacaine 0.5%.

'Air hunger' from increased PCO2 persists after complete neuromuscular block in humans.

The tolerance of totally curarized subjects for prolonged breath hold is viewed by many as evidence that respiratory muscle contraction is essential to generate the sensation of breathlessness. Although conflicting evidence exists, none of it was obtained during total neuromuscular block. We completely paralyzed four normal, unsedated subjects with vecuronium (a non-depolarizing neuromuscular blocker). Subjects were mechanically ventilated with hyperoxic gas mixtures at fixed rate and tidal volume. End-expiratory PCO2 (PETCO2) was varied surreptitiously by changing inspired PCO2. Subjects rated their respiratory discomfort or 'air hunger' every 45 sec. At low PETCO2 (median 35 Torr) they felt little or no air hunger. When PETCO2 was raised (median 44 Torr) all subjects reported severe air hunger. They had reported the same degree of air hunger at essentially the same PETCO2 before paralysis. When questioned afterwards all subjects said the sensation could be described by the terms 'air hunger', 'urge to breathe', and 'shortness of breath', and that is was like breath holding. They reported no fundamental difference in the sensation before and after paralysis. We conclude that respiratory muscle contraction is not important in the genesis of air hunger evoked by hypercapnia.

A new local anesthetic, ropivacaine. Its epidural effects in humans.

The current study was initiated to evaluate the epidural anesthetic properties of 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0% ropivacaine, a new local anesthetic agent structurally similar to bupivacaine. Fifteen patients scheduled for lower limb orthopedic surgery were enrolled in the study. As the concentration of ropivacaine increased from 0.5% to 1.0%, the time to onset of sensory anesthesia decreased from 6.4 +/- 1.7 (SD) min to 2.4 +/- 0.6 min and the maximum level of sensory anesthesia increased from T6 to T1. These changes were not statistically significant. Time to regression of anesthesia to T12 increased from 255 +/- 73 min with the 0.5% solution to 356 +/- 75 min with 1.0% ropivacaine (P less than 0.05). The degree of motor blockade using the Bromage scale varied with the concentration. When the 0.5% concentration was used, only one patient (20%) had greater than 1+ motor blockade. However, all of the patients receiving the 0.75% or 1.0% solution had at least 2+ motor blockade. Sensory anesthesia was adequate for surgery in 14 of the 15 patients. The mean peak plasma concentration of ropivacaine (Cmax) increased from 0.65 +/- 0.15 micrograms/mL with the 100-mg dose to 1.30 +/- 0.43 microgram/mL with the 200-mg dose. No adverse effects were noted in any patient in the study. These initial studies in humans suggest that ropivacaine provides satisfactory sensory anesthesia with minimal motor blockade at a concentration of 0.5%. An increase in concentration resulted in a more profound motor blockade. The Cmax of ropivacaine in this study was below levels associated with toxicity in animal studies.

The role of the clinical nurse specialist in the assessment and development of social-sexual skills of adults who are developmentally disabled.

Clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) functioning in ambulatory settings such as sheltered workshops or other community placements where developmentally disabled persons receive services have an excellent opportunity to use their teaching, counseling and guidance and interaction skills to assist them in gaining competencies that they need to be successful in social/sexual interactions. In this article, preassessment of these skills was performed and an outline of an educational program provided so that CNSs can assume this important teaching and counseling role.