NCT01624103

Comfort Score During Ultrasound Guided Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block Placement in Elderly Patients

Influence of Anesthetic Volume on Comfort Score During US-SCB Placement in Elderly Patients

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 50 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Šarić, Jadranka Pavičić, M.D. · Individual
• Sex: All
• Age: 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

Results from our preliminary study accepted as e-poster presentation on ESRA (Bordeaux, September 2012.) showed significant difference in Comfort Score during Ultrasound Guided Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus block (US-SCB) between young and elderly population. However, it is unknown whether the difference in Comfort score (1) was associated with reduction of local anesthetic (LA) volume in elderly or it is attributed to elderly population by itself. The aim of the study is to compare the Comfort score during US-SCB placement in elderly patients undergoing upper limb surgery performed with two different volumes of local anesthetics (20 ml vs 32 ml).

Detailed description

Involutional changes of brachial plexus in elderly, assessed by measuring the cross-sectional area (CSA) of brachial plexus at the first rib, allowed a 35% reduction of LA volume for an effective US-SCB in comparison with the younger patients (2). Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia becomes an increasingly popular technique and its performance must be as comfortable as possible. Therefore, Comfort score during block placement is extremely important. Comfort Score is consisted of maximum pain intensity (VAS), the satisfaction of the patient and the number of unpleasant events declared by the patients. It is calculated as the sum of each criterion, which was attributed a value of 0 or 1: VAS(\<or=30/100, 1; \>30/100, 0), number of unpleasant events (0, 1; \>or=1, 0) and satisfaction (satisfied or very satisfied, 1; acceptable or unsatisfied, 0). Comfort score of 3 or 2 is considered as comfortable while score 1 or 0 as uncomfortable block placement.

Conditions

• Arm Injuries
• Wounds and Injuries

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	Upper limb surgery	Elderly patients undergoing upper limb surgery received 20 ml of LA volume (50:50 mixture of levobupivacaine 0.5% and lidocaine 2%) for US-SCB. An independent observer unaware of the LA volume recorded maximal pain intensity resulting from block placements, questioned the patients about possible unpleasant events linked to the performance of US-SCB and assessed patient's satisfaction.
PROCEDURE	Upper limb surgery	Elderly patients undergoing upper limb surgery received 32 ml of LA volume (50:50 mixture of levobupivacaine 0.5% and lidocaine 2%) for US-SCB. An independent observer unaware of the LA volume recorded maximal pain intensity resulting from block placements, questioned the patients about possible unpleasant events linked to the performance of US-SCB and assessed patient's satisfaction.

Timeline

• Start date: 2012-11-01
• Primary completion: 2015-11-01
• Completion: 2015-11-01
• First posted: 2012-06-20
• Last updated: 2015-03-03

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Croatia