Paravertebral Block for Thoracic Surgery.

Local anesthetic injected into a wedge-shaped space lateral to the spinal nerves as they emerge from the intervertebral foramina produces somatosensory and sympathetic nerve blockade effective for anesthesia and for managing pain of unilateral origin from the chest and abdomen. Paravertebral blockade (PVB) is versatile and may be applied unilaterally or bilaterally. Unlike thoracic epidural, the PVB technique may be used to avoid contralateral sympathectomy, thereby minimizing hypotension and leading to better preservation of blood pressure. There are no reports on systemic toxicity associated with bilateral PVB despite the need for relatively large doses of local anesthetics. This review includes an important historic background and captures the resurgence of PVB-an almost lost technique. Thoracic PVB provides post-thoracotomy pain relief comparable with thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) with lower side effects supported by moderate-quality evidence. The feasibility and potential of bilateral thoracic PVB for bilateral thoracic surgery appear practical. However, there is existing controversy in the assumption that thoracic PVB is a satisfactory, safer alternative when anticoagulation status is a contraindication to thoracic epidural placement. During the last 2 decades of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, both TEA and PVB have been deemed appropriate in the management of thoracic surgery. A multimodal approach to analgesia includes regional techniques for thoracic surgery that may reduce the likelihood of the development of postoperative complications and chronic pain. PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW: The authors evaluated current opinion, clinical practice, new multimodal adjuvants, regional anesthesia, and innovation and technology related PVB in the thoracic surgery patient population. The review focuses on history, techniques, application, ease of placement, and relative safety of this regional technique. For this review, studies and reference lists were retrieved from the Cochrane library, Embase, and Medline from January 1995 through January 2017. SUMMARY: Existing evidence demonstrates noninferiority of thoracic PVB compared with TEA for postoperative analgesia, with fewer side effects for unilateral and bilateral thoracic surgery, including video-assisted thoracoscopy. The determining factors in selecting the regional technique of choice include the following: (1) tolerance of side effects associated with TEA, (2) consensus on best practice or technique, and (3) operator experience. There is no consensus on the optimal approach for thoracic PVB technique or any standardization when comparing the landmark, ultrasound-guided, or stimulation-based PVB approaches. Moreover, the efficacy of TEA compared with PVB in preventing post-thoracotomy chronic pain syndrome has not been investigated thoroughly and requires future clinical trials.

Central nervous system toxicity following the administration of levobupivacaine for lumbar plexus block: A report of two cases.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Central nervous system and cardiac toxicity following the administration of local anesthetics is a recognized complication of regional anesthesia. Levobupivacaine, the pure S(-) enantiomer of bupivacaine, was developed to improve the cardiac safety profile of bupivacaine. We describe 2 cases of grand mal seizures following accidental intravascular injection of levobupivacaine. CASE REPORT: Two patients presenting for elective orthopedic surgery of the lower limb underwent blockade of the lumbar plexus via the posterior approach. Immediately after the administration of levobupivacaine 0.5% with epinephrine 2.5 microgram/mL, the patients developed grand mal seizures, despite negative aspiration for blood and no clinical signs of intravenous epinephrine administration. The seizures were successfully treated with sodium thiopental in addition to succinylcholine in 1 patient. Neither patient developed signs of cardiovascular toxicity. Both patients were treated preoperatively with beta-adrenergic antagonist medications, which may have masked the cardiovascular signs of the unintentional intravascular administration of levobupivacaine with epinephrine. CONCLUSIONS: Although levobupivacaine may have a safer cardiac toxicity profile than racemic bupivacaine, if adequate amounts of levobupivacaine reach the circulation, it will result in convulsions. Plasma concentrations sufficient to result in central nervous system toxicity did not produce manifestations of cardiac toxicity in these 2 patients.

A new teaching model for resident training in regional anesthesia.

UNLABELLED: The adequacy of resident education in regional anesthesia is of national concern. A teaching model to improve resident training in regional anesthesia was instituted in the Anesthesiology Residency in 1996 at Duke University Health System. The key feature of the model was the use of a CA-3 resident in the preoperative area to perform regional anesthesia techniques. We assessed the success of the new model by comparing the data supplied by the Anesthesiology Residency to the Residency Review Committee for Anesthesiology for the training period July 1992-June 1995 (pre-model) and the training period July 1998-June 2001 (post-model). During the 3-yr training period, the pre-model CA-3 residents (n = 12) performed a cumulative total of 80 (58-105) peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs), 66 (59-74) spinal anesthetics, and 133 (127-142) epidural anesthetics. The CA-3 post-model residents (n = 10) performed 350 (237-408) PNBs, 107 (92-123) spinal anesthetics, and 233 (221-241) epidural anesthetics (P < 0.0001). All results are reported as median (interquartile range). We conclude that our new teaching model using our CA-3 residents as block residents in the preoperative area has increased their clinical exposure to PNBs. IMPLICATIONS: Inadequate exposure to peripheral nerve blocks has been a national problem. A teaching model instituted at Duke University Health System has resulted in a fourfold increase in exposure to peripheral nerve blocks compared with the national averages.