OBJECTIVE In this study we aimed to compare the echogenic needles and the nerve stimulation addition to non-echogenic needles in ultrasound guided axillary brachial plexus block for upper extremity surgery. METHODS 90 patients were enrolled to the study. The patients were allocated into three groups randomly: Group E (n=30): ultrasound guided axillary block using echogenic needle, Group N (n=...

TO the Editor-I read with interest the study by Boylan et al.' comparing epidural bupivacaine-morphine analgesia with patient-controlled analgesia after abdominal aortic surgery. However, I have a major concern. After a loading dose of 1 0 ml of 2% lidocaine followed by 15 ml of 0.25%) bupivacaine via a lumbar epidural catheter, sensory block in the epidural group was probably at an adequate th...

PURPOSE To determine the association of the area of sensory disturbance with the area of suprascapular nerve (SSN) palsy in healthy volunteers and patients with SSN palsy. METHODS Five male and one female and healthy volunteers aged 23 to 44 (mean age, 32.2) years underwent an experiment of distal and proximal SSN block (at the spinoglenoid notch and suprascapular notch, respectively). A pinp...

Objectives: This randomized double-blind controlled trial examined the effects of fentanyl and morphine, alone and in combination, as adjuncts to spinal anesthesia for elective cesarean section. Methods: Sixty women undergoing elective cesarean section, with spinal anesthesia using 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine, were randomly allocated to receive morphine 0.2 mg, fentanyl 25 μg, or fentanyl 12.5 ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three local anesthetic agents for intravenous regional anesthesia in the upper limb. Side effects and plasma concentrations of the drugs in the doses administered for IVRA were also studied. METHODS Thirty patients in ASA groups I and II received intravenous regional anesthesia for surgery of the upper lim...

BACKGROUND In what way volume, concentration and dose affect block duration is controversial. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the effect of dose, volume and concentration of mepivacaine on the duration of sensory and motor blockade in ultrasound-guided single shot axillary brachial plexus blockade. METHODS In this parallel group randomized trial conducted in the Sint Maarte...

Human-level intelligent agents must autonomously navigate complex, dynamic, uncertain environments with bounded time and memory. This requires that they continually update a hierarchical, dynamic, probabilistic (uncertain) internal model of their current situation, via approximate Bayesian inference, incorporating both the sensory data and a generative model of its causes. Such modeling require...

We performed a prospective, double-blinded study in 20 patients undergoing gynecologic surgery with lower abdominal incision, to investigate characteristics of intrathecal hyperbaric levobupivacaine compared with isobaric levobupivacaine. We randomly assigned them to receive 3 mL of either isobaric or hyperbaric 0.42% levobupivacaine intrathecally. We found that hyperbaric levobupivacaine, comp...

BACKGROUND Spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section exposes to high incidence of arterial hypotension which can result in maternal and neonatal morbidity. We hypothesized that the reduction of this dose from 10 mg to 7.5 mg would minimize hypotension without altering pain relief. METHODS In this double-blind prospective study, 80 ASA1 women scheduled for elective caesarean section were random...

BACKGROUND Coracoid approach is efficient and safe for brachial plexus block, and is guided by nerve stimulator or ultrasound in general. Many trials have proved that ultrasonic guidance was more efficacious than nerve stimulator guidance. We hypothesized that positioning posterior cord could enhance the anesthesia effect of coracoid approach brachial plexus block (CABPB) guided by nerve stimul...