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*Departments of Anesthesiology,
Orthopedic Surgery, and
Biostatistics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Terese T. Horlocker, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905. Address e-mail to horlocker.terese{at}mayo.edu
| Abstract |
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Implications: The risk of neurologic complications was not increased in patients who underwent multiple axillary blocks, even within a 1-wk interval. No risk factors for anesthetic-related complications were identified. However, block success rate was increased with the paresthesia technique and the injection of mepivacaine versus bupivacaine.
| Introduction |
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| Methods |
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2 test for categorical variables. The patient's hospital record was reviewed for worsening of preexisting neurologic deficits or new neurologic symptoms, such as persistent pain or alterations in sensation or motor function present after resolution of the axillary block. Neurologic status of the operative limb is evaluated by the surgical service and recorded daily for all hospitalized orthopedic hand patients. In addition, a neurologic examination is also performed and documented during follow-up visits by the surgeon, typically scheduled for 2 and 4 wk after hospital discharge. The etiology of the neurologic sequelae was judged to be surgery- or anesthesia-related on the basis of the level and distribution of the nerve injury. Other complications associated with axillary block, including infection and hematoma, were also recorded. Subsequent outpatient and inpatient registrations were reviewed to evaluate neurologic recovery. Duration of neurologic complications and length of follow-up were noted.
Potential factors associated with the development of neurologic complications (preexisting neurologic diagnosis, surgery to a nerve, total tourniquet time, number of previous blocks, interval between blocks, regional technique, local anesthetic, addition of epinephrine) were assessed using the two-sample rank sum test for continuous variables and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Separate analyses were performed to compare patients who experienced surgical- and anesthetic-related complications versus patients who did not develop neurologic complications. To analyze anesthetic and surgical variables between patients who experienced complications and those who did not, an index block was defined for each patient. For patients with neurologic complications, the index block was defined as the block before the diagnosis of the neurologic complication. For patients without neurologic complications, the index block was defined as the last block in the study period. In all cases, two-sided tests were used with P
0.05 used to denote statistical significance.
| Results |
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The median number of blocks per patient was two (range 210 blocks). The median interval between blocks was 12.6 wk (range 2 days to 10 yr). However, 188 (31%) patients received multiple blocks within 1 wk, including 51 patients who underwent three or more blocks within a 1-wk period. Within 2-, 4-, and 8-wk time intervals, multiple blocks were performed on 222 (37%), 251 (41%), and 285 (47%) patients, respectively.
A long-beveled needle was used in 947 (58.6%), a short-beveled needle was used in 542 (33.6%), and an unspecified needle type was used in 129 (7.9%) of blocks (Table 1). Epinephrine was added to the local anesthetic solution in 1155 (71.6%) of blocks. Local anesthetic volume was 47 ± 8 mL. Fourteen blocks were performed before an anticipated general anesthetic; these blocks were not included in the analysis of success rate. Inadequate anesthesia requiring supplementation was reported in 239 (14.9%) of cases. Regional technique significantly affected block success rate. Success rate was higher with the paresthesia technique compared with the nerve stimulator technique or transarterial injection (Table 1). In addition, the success rate with mepivacaine (88.6%) was significantly higher than that with bupivacaine (83.4%) (P = 0.007). Total tourniquet time was increased in patients with failed blocks (75 ± 65 min) compared with those with successful blocks (47 ± 50 min) (P < 0.001).
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A single nerve was involved in 42 patients. The remaining nine patients had multiple neural complications, including three patients with symptoms that occurred after different surgical procedures. The ulnar nerve was the most often involved (Table 2). Symptoms were pain or hypersensitivity in 33 (48.5%), numbness in 27 (39.7%), and weakness in 8 (11.8%) patients; nerve injuries may have resulted in more than one symptom. The seven neuropraxias associated with regional technique consisted of pain/hypersensitivity in four patients and numbness in three patients. In addition, the postoperative nerve deficit occurred in the distribution of an elicited paresthesia or nerve stimulator response in five of the seven patients (Table 3). All complications involving motor deficits were surgical (Table 2). Despite postoperative neurologic complications, only 15 of 51 patients (11 with surgical and 4 with anesthetic-related complications) did not undergo subsequent blocks.
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| Discussion |
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Neurologic deficits that arise within the first 24 h most likely represent extra- or intraneural hematoma, intraneural edema, or a lesion involving a sufficient number of nerve fibers to allow immediate diagnosis (14). However, in many cases of persistent paresthesias after regional anesthesia, the symptoms of nerve injury do not develop immediately after the injury, but have their onset days or weeks later (2,4,12,14). The presentation of late disturbances in nerve function suggests an alternative etiology, such as tissue reaction or scar formation, although it is not possible from the existing data to determine whether this reaction is due to mechanical trauma, chemical trauma, or both. Löfström et al. (12) evaluated late disturbances in nerve conduction after ulnar nerve block at the elbow. The technique was varied to produce different degrees of mechanical trauma: intra- and extraneuronal injection, single and multiple injections of local anesthetic, and speed of injection were investigated. Although ulnar nerve action potential returned to normal within 24 h after injection in all subjects, subsequent examinations at weekly intervals detected abnormally low amplitudes in 3 of 28 subjects, although only 1 complained of neurologic dysfunction. All three subjects with decreased nerve action potential had undergone a traumatic injection technique characterized by rapid intraneuronal injection. Extraneuronally injected local anesthetic, intraneuronally injected saline, and needle puncture alone (without injection) did not produce electroneurographic signs of nerve damage in any subject. The decrease in amplitude reached a maximum at approximately 3 wk and demonstrated regression 23 mo after the block. Late disturbances in nerve function have also been reported after human microneurography, a technique involving percutaneous electrical stimulation of a nerve (15).
Laboratory studies demonstrate that a subclinical neuropathy is present before clinical dysfunction is noted. After sciatic nerve impalement with an axillary block needle in rats, histologic changes consistent with axonal injury persisted for 28 days. However, clinical evidence of hind leg hyposensitivity was present for only 2 wk (16). Performing a regional anesthetic technique during the period of subclinical neuropathy would theoretically result in additional nerve injury and increase the risk of neurologic complications. Although it is impossible to definitively determine during what time period patients would be at increased risk of neurologic complications if additional nerve trauma occurred, several laboratory studies reported at least partial resolution of trauma-induced nerve injury within 1 mo (16,17). Therefore, our analysis evaluated the risk of neurologic complications for patients undergoing multiple blocks within 1-, 2-, 4-, and 8-wk periods.
We reported a 1.2% (95% confidence interval 0.5%2.4%) frequency of anesthesia-related neurologic complications in patients undergoing repeated axillary block. Multiple blocks performed within a 1-, 2-, 4-, or 8-wk period did not increase the frequency of neurologic complications among our patients. Nearly one third of all patients underwent multiple blocks within a 1-wk period, and >40% underwent multiple blocks within a 4-wk interval. However, none of the seven patients with anesthesia-related neurologic complications underwent more than one block in the 4-wk period ending on the date of their index block.
The development of a neurologic complication did not necessarily preclude performance of subsequent axillary blocks; three of seven patients with anesthesia-related nerve injury underwent additional regional techniques uneventfully (Table 3). We did not include a group of control patients undergoing a single axillary block because the frequency of neurologic complications reported was so low and the number of patients undergoing repeated blocks is limited.
Our study identified tourniquet time as a risk factor for the development of surgery-related neurologic complications. Prolonged tourniquet time has historically been associated with neural ischemia and dysfunction (8). However, the amount and duration of pressure required to produce persisting paralysis are extremely variable (9). In our study, the correlation of total tourniquet time with neurologic complications was noted not only for the index block (the block immediately preceding the diagnosis of the neurologic dysfunction), but also for the maximal total tourniquet time of any single surgery performed within 1 and 4 wk of the index block (Table 4). These data suggest that reversible and/or repeated neural ischemia from tourniquet inflation may contribute to postoperative neurologic deficits.
Regional technique may affect the frequency of neurologic complications. Theoretically, the elicitation of a paresthesia during axillary block may represent direct needle-induced trauma and increase the risk of persistent paresthesia. Selander et al. (2) reported a higher incidence of postoperative nerve injury in patients in whom a paresthesia was sought during axillary block (2.8%) compared with that in patients undergoing a transaxillary artery technique (0.8%), although the difference was not significant. The neurologic deficits ranged from slight hypersensitivity to severe paresis and persisted for 2 wk to >1 yr. Additional regional anesthetic factors that may influence the degree of nerve injury include needle gauge and type, needle bevel configuration, local anesthetic, and addition of epinephrine, although the findings are controversial (57,16). There are no clinical studies that report a significant increase in nerve injury related to a regional anesthetic technique, needle type, local anesthetic solution, or addition of vasoconstrictors.
We did not note an increase in neurologic complications associated with regional anesthetic approaches that involved identification of one or more nerves with a paresthesia or nerve stimulator techniques. However, we cannot definitively rule out the regional technique as a possible risk factor. Although a paresthesia was elicited in nearly 60% of blocks in our study, analysis of the regional technique used to perform the block immediately preceding the diagnosis of a neurologic complication reveals that one or more paresthesias was elicited in five of seven patients with a persistent paresthesia. The postoperative nerve deficit occurred in the distribution of an elicited paresthesia in four of the five patients (Table 3). These results agree with those of Auroy et al. (14), who reported that all cases of persistent paresthesia after spinal, epidural, or peripheral blockade occurred in the same topography as the associated paresthesia.
The possible association between elicitation of a paresthesia, intentional or accidental, during regional block has lead some anesthesiologists to conclude that nerve blocks should be performed without seeking paresthesias (2,18). However, serious and disabling neurologic complications may follow an axillary block using nerve stimulator or transarterial techniques (4,19). In addition, the paresthesia technique is associated with a significantly higher success rate than other approaches, which emphasizes the need to consider potential risks and benefits when selecting an anesthetic technique.
In summary, anesthetic-related neurologic complications were noted in 7 of 607 patients undergoing 1614 axillary blocks. Most neurologic complications (88.7%) were related to the surgical procedure. Performance of multiple regional techniques, even within 1 wk, did not increase the risk of neurologic complications. These results affirm the safety of regional anesthesia, as well as the need to thoroughly evaluate patients with a postoperative deficit for all possible etiologies of neural injury. Documentation of preexisting deficits is also advantageous. Although postoperative neurologic complications may present immediately after surgery, some may require days or even weeks to emerge. Should neurologic dysfunction occur, timely evaluation with a multidisciplinary approach involving neurology, radiology, internal medicine, and surgery will allow appropriate evaluation and treatment.
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