Peripheral regional anesthesia is the current gold standard of opioid-sparing perioperative analgesia, especially in shoulder, upper limb, and leg surgery. Axillary brachial plexus nerve block is one possible block for upper limb surgery. Loss and return of sensation require time and loss of sensation is supposed to spread from the proximal part to the distal part of the upper limb. Interestingly, until now there is no study about the return of sensation related to the anatomic region. The investigators hypothesize that the loss and return of sensation after axillary brachial plexus nerve block will first occur in the proximal part of the upper limb and last in the distal part.
Peripheral regional anesthesia is the current gold standard of opioid-sparing perioperative analgesia, especially in shoulder, upper limb, and leg surgery.(1-8) Axillary brachial plexus nerve block is one possible block for upper limb surgery.(4, 5, 9) Loss and return of sensation require time. It is known from clinical practice that loss of sensation occurs from the proximal part of the arm to the distal part of the upper limb. Interestingly, until now there is no study about the return of sensation related to the anatomic region. The investigators hypothesize that return of sensation after axillary brachial plexus nerve block will develop in the same direction like loss of sensation, what means from proximal to the distal part of the upper limb.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
50
Evaluating loss and return of sensation after axillary brachial plexus nerve block
Balgrist University Hospital
Zurich, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland
Loss of sensation after axillary brachial plexus nerve block
A questionnaire will be used to record the loss of sensation in the upper limb. Sensation loss is recorded separately for the finger, hand, forearm, elbow, and arm. It will distinguish between initial and complete loss of sensation.
Time frame: Pre-surgery
Return of sensation after axillary brachial plexus nerve block
A questionnaire will be used to record the return of sensation in the upper limb. Sensation return is recorded separately for the finger, hand, forearm, elbow, and arm. It will distinguish between initial and complete return of sensation.
Time frame: Immediately after the surgery
Pain before
Pain score (Numeric Rating Scale: 0 to 10) before loss of sensation after the axillary brachial plexus nerve block on a 0-10 scale, with zero meaning "no pain" and 10 meaning "the worst pain imaginable.
Time frame: Pre-surgery
Pain after
Pain score (Numeric Rating Scale: 0 to 10) after loss of sensation after the axillary brachial plexus nerve block on a 0-10 scale, with zero meaning "no pain" and 10 meaning "the worst pain imaginable.
Time frame: Immediately after the surgery
Block failure
Block failure yes or no
Time frame: Pre-surgery
Amount of pain medication
Amount of pain medication after surgery, measured in mg
Time frame: Immediately after the surgery up to 2 days
Prolongation of hospitalization
The patient is expected to be an outpatient. If this does not occur, the days of hospitalization will be recorded.
Time frame: Immediately after the surgery
Patients satisfaction with pain therapy
The patient will be asked to rate their satisfaction with the pain therapy on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating very dissatisfied and 10 indicating very satisfied.
Time frame: Immediately after the surgery
Satisfaction of medical staff with the execution of the axillary brachial plexus nerve block
The medical staff will be asked to rate their satisfaction with the execution of the axillary brachial plexus nerve block on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating very dissatisfied and 10 indicating very satisfied.
Time frame: Immediately after the surgery
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