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From the *Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria; Department of Anaesthesia, University Cape Town, Red Cross Children Hospital, Rondebosch, South Africa; and Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Royal Naval Hospital, Gibraltar, United Kingdom.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Peter Marhofer, MD, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical University Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18–20, 1090 Vienna, Austria. Address e-mail to peter.marhofer{at}meduniwien.ac.at or web site www.sono-nerve.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Ultrasonographic observation of peripheral nerve blocks enables direct visualization of the spread of local anesthetic around the targeted nerves. Similarly, ultrasonography may be used to determine the site of local anesthetic placement when landmark-based techniques are used. We performed a study to determine the actual location of local anesthetic when ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve blocks are performed using landmark-based techniques in children in an attempt to explain a failed block.
METHODS: After induction of general anesthesia (1 minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration halothane and laryngeal mask airway), 62 children scheduled for inguinal surgery received an ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerve block based on standard anatomical landmarks. Ultrasonography was then used to determine the actual location of local anesthetic placement. The anesthesiologist performing the block was blinded to the ultrasonographic investigation. Successful blocks were recorded either when the local anesthetic surrounded the nerves or were based on clinical signs after skin incision.
RESULTS: In 14% of the blocks, the local anesthetic was administered correctly around the nerves resulting in successful blocks. In the remaining 86%, the local anesthetic was administered in adjacent anatomical structures (iliac muscle 18%, transverse abdominal muscle 26%, internal oblique abdominal muscle 29%, external oblique abdominal muscle 9%, subcutaneous 2%, and peritoneum 2%), and 45% of these blocks failed.
CONCLUSION: Accurate placement of local anesthetic around the ilioinguinal/iliohypogastric nerves in children is seldom possible when landmark-based techniques are used. In the majority of patients, the local anesthetic was inaccurately placed in adjacent anatomical structures with unpredictable block results.
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  Z. Jankovic, N. Ahmad, N. Ravishankar, and F. Archer Transversus Abdominis Plane Block: How Safe is it? Anesth. Analg., November 1, 2008; 107(5): 1758 - 1759. [Full Text] [PDF]
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D. Thibaut, J. C. de la Cuadra-Fontaine, M. P. Bravo, and R. de la Fuente Ilioinguinal/Iliohypogastric Blocks: Where Is the Anesthetic Injected? Anesth. Analg., August 1, 2008; 107(2): 728 - 729. [Full Text] [PDF]
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