Case Study of Phrenic Nerve Paralysis: “I Can't Breathe!”

BackgroundThe anatomic course of the phrenic nerve runs in the fascia covering the anterior scalene muscle. Interscalene blocks are commonly performed by an anesthesiologist for shoulder surgery, such as a rotator cuff repair, total shoulder replacement, humeral fracture, or other arm surgery. Phrenic nerve palsy or paralysis is a known complication from interscalene block and is covered in multiple case reports and series in both Anesthesia and Neurosurgical literature, but only one case report in the Emergency Medicine literature.Case ReportThis case involves a 57-year-old man who had an uncomplicated arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with placement of interscalene block under care of anesthesia. He was discharged with a pain pump in place and then subsequently presented to the Emergency Department (ED) later that same day for evaluation of dyspnea. Using point-of-care ultrasound, his right diaphragm did not appear to be moving. Chest x-ray study revealed an elevated right hemidiaphragm. He was diagnosed with iatrogenic right phrenic nerve paralysis from interscalene block.Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?Emergent diagnosis of phrenic nerve paralysis in the ED is complicated by a distressed patient and need for quick intervention. Most formal tests for this diagnosis are not immediately available to emergency physicians. Ultrasound is a rapid and reproducible, noninvasive resource with high sensitivity and specificity, making it an ideal imaging modality for the emergent evaluation of possible phrenic nerve palsy or paralysis.     

病人自控硬膜外镇痛用于肺癌术后的临床观察

目的 观察PCEA用于肺癌术后的镇痛效果。方法 60例肺癌术后患随机等分为两组：A组采用PCEA，B组肌注镇痛剂。定时监测两组MAP、HR、SpO2、VAS评分、镇静评分及不良反应等。结果 A组镇痛确切，呼吸、循环平稳，患平静合作休息好。结论 PCEA用于肺癌术后镇痛效果好，不良反应少，患满意度高。     

Epidural pethidine and bupivacaine in labour

A double-blind randomised study was performed to assess the value of the addition of pethidine 50 mg to the initial dose of bupivacaine given for epidural analgesia in labour. Forty-nine patients received either 1 ml of saline (n = 24), or 50 mg of pethidine (n = 25), added to 9 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine as an initial injection for intrapartum epidural analgesia. There was a significant increase in the mean duration of analgesia in the pethidine group. However, pethidine did not increase the speed of onset of analgesia, or improve the quality of analgesia.     

Bilateral continuous paravertebral block used for postoperative analgesia in an infant having bilateral thoracotomy

We describe the successful postoperative pain management in an 11-month-old infant who underwent bilateral thoracotomy, using continuous infusions of bupivacaine into two directly placed paravertebral catheters. Haemodynamic parameters and pain scores were measured 1–2 h for 60 h while the infusions were continued and, intermittently, blood samples were taken for subsequent measurement of serum bupivacaine concentrations. The technique provided effective pain relief and the infant required no other analgesia postoperatively. There were no adverse haemodynamic consequences or complications relating to either catheter placement or drug infusions. Serum concentrations of bupivacaine remained below toxic levels throughout the study period, though accumulation did occur.     

Local analgesic and vascular effects of intradermal ropivacaine and bupivacaine in various concentrations with and without addition of adrenaline in man

Ropivacaine, a new long–acting amino–amide local anaesthetic agent, and bupivacaine, in various concentrations with or without addition of adrenaline, were tested in a randomized, double–blind study using intradermal wheals. Ten non–smoking, healthy, young male volunteers participated. In series I plain solutions of ropivacaine (0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75% and 1%) and bupivacaine (0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75%) were injected intradermally and in series II the same concentrations, with the addition of adrenaline 5 ug ml^-1 ( 1 :200 000), were used. The same volunteers took part in both series, with an interval of at least three weeks between the experiments. Saline was included as control in both series. Pin–pricking was used to assess the dermal analgesia. Plain solutions of ropivacaine produced significantly longer durations of dermal analgesia than did plain solutions of bupivacaine, in all tested concentrations. A significant increase in duration was seen for both local anaesthetics when adding adrenaline. Local vascular effects at the injected areas were determined by visual inspection (nil, pink, pale). Local blanching (pale) was significantly more frequent for plain solutions of ropivacaine, in all tested concentrations. Local redness (pink) was significantly more frequent with plain bupivacaine, in a dose–dependent relation. An initial redness was frequently observed for both local anaesthetics containing adrenaline, followed by blanching at most sites.     

两种局麻药术后镇痛效果及副作用比较

目的：观察比较0．2％罗哌卡因和0．15％布比卡因两种同麻药在硬膜外自控镇痛(PCEA)中的镇痛效果及副作用。方法：选用0．2％罗哌卡因和0．15％布比卡因两种同麻药用于PCEA中．对其效果进行对比分析。结果：0．2％罗哌卡因、0．15％布比卡因分别与0．1mg芬太尼联合用于PCEA中，镇痛效果确切．毒副作用轻微，并发症少。结论：将0．2％罗哌卡因替代0．15％布比卡因与0．1mg芬太尼合用后．病人术后行走能力的早期恢复可得到改善。     

咪唑安定对布比卡因蛛网膜下腔麻醉效果的影响

目的观察咪唑安定加入布比卡因对蛛网膜下腔麻醉维持时间和麻醉效果的影响。方法40例ASAⅠ级子宫切除病人随机分为咪唑安定组（试验组，11=20）和对照组（n=20）。咪唑安定组蛛网膜下腔注入0．5％重比重布比卡因2．5ml加咪唑安定1mg（0．2m1），对照组注入0．5％重比重布比卡因2．5ml加生理盐水0．2ml。观察运动神经阻滞（改良Bromage）、感觉神经阻滞（针刺法）、镇痛时间（VAS）、术者和患者对麻醉的满意率。结果咪唑安定组感觉和运动神经阻滞时间显著延长（P〈0．01），术者和患者对麻醉的满意率提高（P〈0．05）。咪唑安定组有效镇痛时间也显著延长（P〈0．001）。两组血流动力学、不良反应情况差别无显著性。结论咪哗安定加入布比卡因能显著延长麻醉作用时间，麻醉效应增强，而不良反应未见增加。     

Haemodynamic changes during spinal anaesthesia with slow continuous infusion or single dose of plain bupivacaine

Forty elderly patients, scheduled for orthopaedic surgery of the hip or knee were studied. Twenty patients received a single-dose spinal anaesthesia with 3 ml of plain 0.5% bupivacaine (SDSA group). Twenty patients received continuous spinal anaesthesia using a 32- or 22-gauge catheter. A bolus of 1.0 ml of plain 0.5% bupivacaine was given to ten patients and 0.5 ml to another ten, continued by an infusion at a rate of 2 ml/h. The spread of analgesia and haemodynamic changes (central venous pressure, arterial pressures, need for sympathomimetic medication) were registered. The mean dose of bupivacaine was 2.9 ml (range 1.5-5 ml) in the CSA group (3.0 ml in the SDSA group). Eight patients in the CSA group needed medication for pain during surgery compared to five patients in the SDSA group (n.s.). The median level of pinprick analgesia at 60 min was T11 in the CSA and T6.5 in the SDSA group (P less than 0.01). The mean maximum decreases in CVP and MAP were quite similar in the CSA and SDSA group (2.1 vs 2.8 mmHg (0.3 vs 0.4 kPa) and 17 vs 21 mmHg (2.3 vs 2.8 kPa), respectively) (n.s.). Six patients in the SDSA group and four patients in the CSA group needed sympathomimetic medication. It is concluded that titration of bupivacaine for spinal anaesthesia caused only minor haemodynamic changes which were similar to those after single-dose spinal bupivacaine.     

Continuous extradural infusion of lignocaine 0.75% vs bupivacaine 0.125% in primiparae: quality of analgesia and influence on labour

We studied 86 primiparous women with uncomplicated pregnancy and labour requesting extradural analgesia in labour. All the women were over 36 weeks of gestation with a cephalic-presenting singleton fetus. The women were allocated randomly to two groups: group A, who received an extradural infusion of lignocaine 0.75%, after an initial dose of 10 ml of lignocaine 1.5%, and group B, who received an infusion of bupivacaine 0.125% after an initial dose of 10 ml of bupivacaine 0.25%. All the women had their labour actively managed. Assessment of analgesia during labour and delivery, and the requirements for additional top-ups were noted, as were mode of delivery, requirement for oxytocic augmentation and incidence of fetal distress. Maternal and umbilical cord plasma concentrations of lignocaine were measured at delivery in 12 women receiving extradural lignocaine. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of the mode of delivery, incidence of fetal distress, fetal heart rate abnormalities, or Apgar scores of the babies. Women in the bupivacaine group had a significantly better quality of analgesia during both the first and second stages of labour (p = 0.0005) and required fewer top-ups than those in the lignocaine group. However, the requirement for oxytocin augmentation during the first and second stages of labour was significantly less in the lignocaine group (p = 0.004). Similarly, the duration of the second stage was shorter compared with the bupivacaine group. In spite of high plasma concentrations of lignocaine, no side effects were noted in either mothers or babies.