Interscalene nerve blocks are common procedures performed before upper extremity surgeries in order to provide post-op pain relief and improve recovery time. Here we present two cases of patients who underwent a unilateral supraclavicular and bilateral interscalene nerve block, respectively. The first patient had no risk factors but the second presented with a body mass index of 45.5 and a history of symptoms consistent with obstructive sleep apnea but never diagnosed. Both patients experienced some form of respiratory distress diagnosed via changes in chest x-ray and clinical presentation. The mechanism of injury that occurs in these procedures is typically from inadvertent damage to the phrenic nerve. Mild adverse effects in interscalene nerve block are relatively common. However, there is minimal data in regards to performing bilateral interscalene nerve blocks. The purpose of this study is to highlight that severe complication in both high and low-risk patients can occur but may be reduced with a safer approach and more effective communication among multidisciplinary team members.

Methods of regional anaesthesia and regional postoperative analgesia are common in perioperative management of patients in traumatology-orthopaedics. One of most challenging fields of traumatology-orthopaedics is shoulder surgery. Shoulder surgery is associated with intense and long-lasting postoperative pain. It affects patients’ well-being, limits limb function and worsens results of surgical treatment. Determination of optimal methods for postoperative pain relief is very important in clinical practice. Several modern studies compared methods of systemic analgesia with continuous interscalene infusion of bupivacaine 0,15 - 0,25 % solution. Application of these concentrations of bupivacaine resulted in sufficient analgesia but profound motor blockade and anaesthetic toxicity were observed. There are few studies on interscalene infusions of small concentrations of bupivacaine. Data on effects of small doses of bupivacaine on intensity of motor blockade and adjuvant drugs on postoperative analgesia is lacking. AIM OF THE STUDY: to evaluate the quality of post-operative pain treatment after shoulder surgery using continuous perineural infusions of different concentrations (0.1% and 0.15%) of bupivacaine and bupicacaine (0.1%) in combination with adjuvant clonidine and effects on operated hand motor function. To assess clinical advisability of interscalene brachial plexus identification and catheterization using G. Meier’s technique. 159 patients scheduled for elective... [to full text]

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