Liposomal bupivacaine infiltration in the surgical site for analgesia after rotator cuff repair: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is among the most painful of orthopedic surgeries. Liposomal bupivacaine is Food and Drug Administration approved for administration into surgical sites to provide postsurgical analgesia and has been used to address postoperative pain after many types of surgery, including total shoulder arthroplasty. However, its efficacy for pain control after rotator cuff repair is unclear. METHODS: In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we compared liposomal bupivacaine with an equivalent volume of saline injected into the subacromial space and arthroscopy portal sites in patients undergoing rotator cuff repair under the interscalene block with sedation. The primary outcome measure was numeric rating pain score at the time of block resolution, as reported during the follow-up phone call on postoperative day 1. Secondary outcomes included mean pain scores at rest as well as oral morphine equivalent requirements on postoperative days 1, 2, and 3. This study provides Level 1 evidence. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the primary outcome of numeric rating pain scores on resolution of the interscalene nerve block, nor in those reported on postoperative day 1 or 2. There was a minor but statistically significant difference in mean resting pain scores on day 3, though opioid consumption and patient satisfaction score did not differ between groups. In those instructed to perform passive range-of-motion exercises, there was no difference in reported mean pain scores among the groups. DISCUSSION: In this study of patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, we found no statistically significant difference in mean pain scores on interscalene block resolution, a result consistent with a number of studies investigating liposomal bupivacaine for total shoulder arthroplasty. A modest reduction in pain was evident only on day 3, and there was no impact on perioperative opioid requirements, opioid-related side effects, or pain with motion. Liposomal bupivacaine, when injected into the subacromial space and the tissues around the arthroscopy port sites, provided minimal improvement in pain control in this patient population.

The Ultrasound Anatomy of Nerves in the Interscalene Groove: Can We Reliably Distinguish the Nerve Structures for Needle Placement During Nerve Blocks?

In the interscalene groove, nerve structures are in close proximity and may not be visible as separate structures, increasing the risk of insertion of the needle tip within the epineurium. We evaluated whether experienced regional anesthesiologists can distinguish between nerve elements lying in close proximity on ultrasound images.Brachial plexus elements from 4 nonpreserved cadavers were arranged in a water bath. Ultrasound images of the nerve roots and trunks were taken. Regional anesthesiologists and residents were asked whether they could distinguish the nerves as 2 separate structures and if they could identify a pair of nerve roots versus a single trunk.Attending anesthesiologists reported the ability to discriminate 2 nerve structures when a 2-mm space was arranged between them in 54% of images; however, when in direct contact, this recognition was significantly lower. The residents reported a higher ability to discriminate the 2 nerves in all scenarios. In addition, the attending anesthesiologists successfully identified paired nerve roots versus nerve trunks in 70% of the images, significantly higher than chance (P = 0.01), whereas the fraction of correct resident responses was not significantly different from guessing.When nerves were placed in close proximity, experienced regional anesthesiologists had difficulty identifying them as separate structures and were incorrect nearly one-third of the time in discriminating 2 closely positioned roots versus a nerve trunk. This underscores the importance of cautious needle insertion into the interscalene groove, where nerve elements are often juxtaposed one to another.

Mechanics of anesthetic needle penetration into human sciatic nerve.

Nerve blocks are frequently performed by anesthesiologists to control pain. For sciatic nerve blocks, the optimal placement of the needle tip between its paraneural sheath and epineurial covering is challenging, even under ultrasound guidance, and frequently results in nerve puncture. We performed needle penetration tests on cadaveric isolated paraneural sheath (IPS), isolated nerve (IN), and the nerve with overlying paraneural sheath (NPS), and quantified puncture force requirement and fracture toughness of these specimens to assess their role in determining the clinical risk of nerve puncture. We found that puncture force (123 ±â€¯17 mN) and fracture toughness (45.48 ±â€¯9.72 J m-2) of IPS was significantly lower than those for NPS (1440 ±â€¯161 mN and 1317.46 ±â€¯212.45 Jm-2, respectively), suggesting that it is not possible to push the tip of the block needle through the paraneural sheath only, without pushing it into the nerve directly, when the sheath is lying directly over the nerve. Results of this study provide a physical basis for tangential placement of the needle as the ideal situation for local anesthetic deposition, as it allows for the penetration of the sheath along the edge of the nerve without entering the epineurium.

Changes in blood product utilization in a seven-hospital system after the implementation of a patient blood management program: A 9-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: To analyze changes in red blood cell (RBC), platelet (PLT), and plasma transfusion volumes 9 years after the implementation of a multifaceted patient blood management (PBM) program across multiple hospitals. METHODS: Between fiscal years 2007 and 2015, the annual transfusion volumes for seven hospitals in a regional healthcare system were analyzed by hospital, and between 2014 and 2015, by four service lines including emergency department, intensive care unit (ICU), medical/surgical ward, and operating room at each hospital. The number of units of RBCs administered to transfused recipients on the wards and in ICUs was also enumerated. RESULTS: For these seven hospitals combined, there was a 29.9% reduction in the number of RBCs transfused between 2007 and 2015, a 24.8% reduction in plasma units, and a 25.7% reduction in PLT units. The two largest hospitals saw some of the largest reductions in RBC transfusions (40.1, 25.1%), and plasma transfusions (26.1, 33.8%), and one of those hospitals had a 49.5% reduction in PLT transfusions. Smaller-sized hospitals also had reductions in transfusion volumes, while some volumes increased at hospitals when new or expanded clinical services were introduced. The number of RBC units per transfused recipient was generally between 1.5 and 2 units on the wards and slightly higher in the ICUs. DISCUSSION: Although the overall volume of transfusions has generally decreased at each hospital site over time, the appropriateness of the administered transfusions cannot be evaluated by these data. CONCLUSION: The system-wide implementation of a PBM program has reduced transfusion volumes.