BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Continuous brachial plexus anesthesia with local anesthesia has been used since 1946 for prolonged surgical procedures, in postoperative pain relief, and in sympathetic nerve block. The benefit or effectiveness of this technique in the relief of sympathetically maintained pain has yet to be established. METHODS: The following case report describes the placement of an axillary catheter connected to a port for the self-administration of local anesthesia to provide brachial plexus anesthesia in a 43-year-old woman suffering from sympathetically maintained pain. RESULTS: The administration of local anesthesia through this injection system resulted in complete pain relief without motor impairment of the arm. The device functioned for 118 days, making physical therapy easier. An infection occurred at the entry site, requiring the removal of the port. CONCLUSIONS: Controlled studies need to be done to establish the safety and efficacy of this form of therapy.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Topography of peribulbar anesthesia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Peribulbar anesthesia has fewer complications than retrobulbar anesthesia, but ocular perforation has also been described in peribulbar anesthesia. This study aims to verify by computed tomography that the recommended points for performing peribulbar anesthesia are safe. METHODS: Three human corpses were used. The puncture points were position A (superior internal orbital angle and inferior external orbital angle), position B (superior and inferior orbital median line), and position C (superior external and inferior internal orbital angle). Contrast diffusion was studied in each position at 3, 4, 5, and 10 minutes after contrast injection. RESULTS: Among upper eyelid punctures, the only one anatomically safe is the internal angle puncture, given that either in the median line or the external angle there is a chance of eye globe perforation. Lower eyelid positions are a safe distance from the optic nerve and ocular globe. Contrast diffusion was satisfactory in positions A and B. There was little diffusion in position C. CONCLUSIONS: The median or external superior angle eyelid puncture may cause eye globe perforation.

Anesthesia, Local↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Utility of epidural catheterization by the caudal route in pediatric anesthesia].

OBJECTIVES: To compare analgesic effect of bupivacaine during and after surgery when delivered through a lumbar epidural catheter entering by the caudal route with either caudal or lumbar administration of anesthetic through the needle. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred forty ASA I patients under 110 months undergoing infraumbilical surgery were studied. The children were distributed randomly into 3 groups: group 1, caudal puncture and anesthesia with 2.5 mg/kg bupivacaine 1:200,000; group 2, lumbar puncture at L4-L5 and 1.25 mg/kg of the same local anesthetic; and group 3, epidural catheter in the caudal space up to L4-L5 and 1.25 mg/kg of the same local anesthetic administered through the catheter (Minipack: SYSTEM 2-Portex). The patients were anesthetized with endovenous or inhalational anesthetics. Variables recorded were analgesia during surgery (hemodynamic constants) and afterwards (CHEOPS scale), level of cutaneous sensory blockade immediately after the operation and its relationship to age, complementary analgesia used and complications. X-rays of the distal end of the catheter were taken in group 3. RESULTS: Analgesia during and after surgery was sufficient for all patients in group 1. Two patients, 1 from group 2 and 1 from group 3, were eliminated due to lack of analgesia during surgery. The level of cutaneous sensory blockade attained was significantly lower in group 3 than in group 1, and only in group 1 were we able to establish a linear correlation between level of sensory blockade and age (R = 0.51; p < 0.01). In group 3, 85.5% of the catheters reached L4-L5. Complementary analgesia was similar in the three groups. Complications included 5 cases of blood loss at the point of puncture in groups 1 and 2, and 1 case of catheter penetration of the juncture in group 3. CONCLUSIONS: Epidural anesthesia by way of a catheter entering by the caudal space allows us to achieve intra- and postoperative analgesia of comparable quality to that afforded by a lumbar approach or a single direct caudal puncture.

Abdomen↗