An Assessment between ultrasound and neurostimulation guided axillary brachial plexus block in a tertiary care teaching Institute

Dr. Sudhir Tichkule; Dr. Sunil Kumar Jain

Volume : IX, Issue : X, October - 2019

An Assessment between ultrasound and neurostimulation guided axillary brachial plexus block in a tertiary care teaching Institute

Dr. Sudhir Tichkule, Dr. Sunil Kumar Jain

Abstract :

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Ultrasound in Regional Blocks is increasingly more frequent. Very few studies compå ultrasound and neurostimulation have been conducted. The objective of this study was to compare neurostimulation–guided axillary achial plexus block with double injection and ultrasound–guided axillary plexus block for hand surgeries. The time to perform the technique, success rate, and complications were compared. METHODS: After approval by the Ethics on Research Committee 40 patients scheduled for elective Forearm surgeries under axillary plexus block were selected. Patients were randomly divided into two groups with 20 patients each: Neurostimulation (NE) and Ultrasound (US) groups. The time to perform the technique, success rate, and complication rate were compared. RESULTS: Complete blockade, partial failure, and total failure rates did not show statistically significant differences between the US and NE groups. The mean time to perform the technique in the US group (354 seconds) was not statistically different than that of the NE group (381 seconds). Patients in the NE group had a higher incidence of vascular punctures (40%) when compared with those in the US group (10%, p < 0.05). The rate of paresthesia during the blockade was similar in both groups (15%). CONCLUSIONS: The success rate and time to perform the blockade were similar in ultrasound– and neurostimulation–guided axillary plexus block for hand surgeries.