{"title":"Acute reversal of respiratory distress after a preoperative single-shot interscalene nerve block.","authors":"Robert J Meulemans, Bastiaan M Gerritse","doi":"10.1136/rapm-2024-105728","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Diaphragmatic paresis is a known complication of the interscalene block used for postoperative analgesia in shoulder surgery. A technique involving the injection of normal saline through the interscalene catheter to alleviate this condition has shown promise. This method, termed the \"washing-off\" technique, dilutes the local anesthetic around the phrenic nerve, mitigating respiratory symptoms.</p><p><strong>Case presentation: </strong>A 65-year-old male patient with multiple comorbidities (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification 4) was scheduled for arteriovenous brachiocephalic fistula creation under regional anesthesia. Following an interscalene block with 32 mL of mepivacaine 1.5%, the patient experienced acute respiratory distress, with SpO<sub>2</sub> at 88% despite 6 L O<sub>2</sub> via nasal cannula. To avoid intubation, a 20 mL normal saline injection was administered through single-shot interscalene injection under ultrasound guidance. Within 5 min, respiratory distress markedly improved, allowing the patient to converse. Surgery proceeded without complications, maintaining SpO<sub>2</sub> at 99% with 6 L O<sub>2</sub>. Postoperatively, the patient remained stable, with SpO<sub>2</sub> at 98% on 2 L O<sub>2</sub>, and was discharged from the recovery room without additional oxygen requirements.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The \"washing-off\" technique's mechanism may involve dilutional effects, pH changes or local sodium concentration alterations affecting the phrenic nerve. This case demonstrates its effectiveness in an acute setting, enabling surgery under regional anesthesia without intubation or any additional analgesia. The previously considered placebo effect appears unlikely here.</p>","PeriodicalId":54503,"journal":{"name":"Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2024-105728","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ANESTHESIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Diaphragmatic paresis is a known complication of the interscalene block used for postoperative analgesia in shoulder surgery. A technique involving the injection of normal saline through the interscalene catheter to alleviate this condition has shown promise. This method, termed the "washing-off" technique, dilutes the local anesthetic around the phrenic nerve, mitigating respiratory symptoms.
Case presentation: A 65-year-old male patient with multiple comorbidities (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification 4) was scheduled for arteriovenous brachiocephalic fistula creation under regional anesthesia. Following an interscalene block with 32 mL of mepivacaine 1.5%, the patient experienced acute respiratory distress, with SpO2 at 88% despite 6 L O2 via nasal cannula. To avoid intubation, a 20 mL normal saline injection was administered through single-shot interscalene injection under ultrasound guidance. Within 5 min, respiratory distress markedly improved, allowing the patient to converse. Surgery proceeded without complications, maintaining SpO2 at 99% with 6 L O2. Postoperatively, the patient remained stable, with SpO2 at 98% on 2 L O2, and was discharged from the recovery room without additional oxygen requirements.
Conclusions: The "washing-off" technique's mechanism may involve dilutional effects, pH changes or local sodium concentration alterations affecting the phrenic nerve. This case demonstrates its effectiveness in an acute setting, enabling surgery under regional anesthesia without intubation or any additional analgesia. The previously considered placebo effect appears unlikely here.
期刊介绍:
Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine, the official publication of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), is a monthly journal that publishes peer-reviewed scientific and clinical studies to advance the understanding and clinical application of regional techniques for surgical anesthesia and postoperative analgesia. Coverage includes intraoperative regional techniques, perioperative pain, chronic pain, obstetric anesthesia, pediatric anesthesia, outcome studies, and complications.
Published for over thirty years, this respected journal also serves as the official publication of the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA), the Asian and Oceanic Society of Regional Anesthesia (AOSRA), the Latin American Society of Regional Anesthesia (LASRA), the African Society for Regional Anesthesia (AFSRA), and the Academy of Regional Anaesthesia of India (AORA).