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Ultrasonographic guided axillary plexus blocks with low volumes of local anaesthetics: a crossover volunteer study
Author(s) -
Marhofer P.,
Eichenberger U.,
Stöckli S.,
Huber G.,
Kapral S.,
Curatolo M.,
Kettner S.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2010.06247.x
Subject(s) - medicine , mepivacaine , brachial plexus , anesthesia , crossover study , volume (thermodynamics) , brachial plexus block , local anesthetic , surgery , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics , placebo
Summary Our study group recently evaluated an ED 95 local anaesthetic volume of 0.11 ml.mm −2 cross‐sectional nerve area for the ulnar nerve. This prospective, randomised, double‐blind crossover study investigated whether this volume is sufficient for brachial plexus blocks at the axillary level. Ten volunteers received an ultrasonographic guided axillary brachial plexus block either with 0.11 (‘low’ volume) or 0.4 (‘high’ volume) ml.mm −2 cross‐sectional nerve area with mepivacaine 1%. The mean (SD) volume was in the low volume group 4.0 (1.0) and 14.8 (3.8) ml in the high volume group. The success rate for the individual nerve blocks was 27 out of 30 in the low volume group (90%) and 30 out of 30 in the high volume group (100%), resulting in 8 out of 10 (80%) vs 10 out of 10 (100%) complete blocks in the low vs the high volume groups, respectively (NS). The mean (SD) sensory onset time was 25.0 (14.8) min in the low volume group and 15.8 (6.8) min in the high volume group (p < 0.01). The mean (SD) duration of sensory block was 125 (38) min in the low volume group and 152 (70) min in the high volume group (NS). This study confirms our previous published ED 95 volume for mepivacaine 1% to block peripheral nerves. The volume of local anaesthetic has some influence on the sensory onset time.