Effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on onset of axillary plexus block |
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| Authors: | M. F. STEVENS U. LINSTEDT B. NERUDA P. LIPFERT H. WULF |
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| Affiliation: | M.F. Stevens, MD, Registrar, B. Neruda, MD, PhD, Senior Registrar, P. Lipfert, MD, Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Postfach 10 10 07, 40001 Diisseldorf, Germany, U. Lindstedt, MD, Registrar, H. Wulf, MD, Lecturer, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Christian-Albrechts-University Kicl, Schwanenweg 21, 24105 Kiel, Germany. |
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| Abstract: | We examined the effect of high frequency transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on the onset of brachial plexus block. Three groups of patients scheduled for surgery of the hand had a local anaesthetic block performed with 40 ml mepivacaine 1.5% using the axillary approach. After injection of the local anaesthetic transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation was applied for 15 min either to the median nerve or the ulnar nerve; no stimulation was applied in the control group. Before and for 45 min after, the injection of local anaesthetic touch perception, pin prick, motor strength andskin temperature were tested by a blinded investigator in the areas supplied by the median, musculocutaneous, radial and ulnar nerves. There were no differences in the onset of block between the groups. Thus, the frequency-dependent action of local anaesthetics could not be demonstrated. |
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| Keywords: | Anaesthetics, local mepivacaine, frequency-dependent block, use-dependent block. Anaesthetic techniques regional axillary plexus block. Nerve stimulator |
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