An Evaluation of Complications Following Ultrasound-Guided Regional Block Anesthesia in Outpatient Hand Surgery

Upper Extremity Blocks for Hand Surgeons: A Literature Review of Regional Anaesthesia Techniques, Efficacy, and Safety

Introduction: Regional anaesthesia (RA) techniques have increased in popularity due to evidence of reductions in acute pain, chronic pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and pulmonary complications. While upper extremity blocks (UEBs) have been the subject of several comprehensive reviews, no review to date has synthesised the information on their use in hand surgery. Methods: A search of PUBMED and Cochrane databases was performed to identify the evidence associated with upper extremity blocks. The results of this search and extant literature on UEBs were examined and the relevant information extracted. Results: Supraclavicular block is associated with transient complications such as Horner's syndrome and phrenic nerve palsy, affecting up to 54% and 50% of patients, respectively. The incidence of pneumothorax in supraclavicular blocks is up to 4%. Infraclavicular, interscalene and axillary blocks have a lower rate of all complications, however, each may require a supplementary block at a different anatomical site as each spares significant regions of the upper extremity. Epinephrine in concentrations of 1:100,000-200,000 is safe for use in digital blocks with no association digital gangrene. Current evidence suggests digital blocks are safe and efficacious when appropriately performed. Conclusion: UEBs are safe and may be administered by an anaesthesia provider or an appropriately trained surgeon. The choice of block is contingent on the anatomical location of the surgical procedure, procedure duration, patient preference, patient co-morbidieis, and the surgeon's experience. Most upper extremity surgeries can be performed using RA. Current evidence illustrates outcome benefits for patients, surgeons, and healthcare institutions utilising RA.

Bibliometrics and knowledge map analysis of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia

Through bibliometric analysis, we aim to comprehensively understand the research dynamics in this field, reveal key scientific research achievements and breakthrough discoveries, and provide valuable reference and guidance for future research directions. Utilizing the Web of Science, we retrieved the literature pertaining to ultrasonics-guided regional anesthesiology (1994-2022). CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used for bibliometric and knowledge mapping analysis. Our examination encompassed publication trends, authorship patterns, institutional contributions, frequently occurring keywords, keyword clustering, and emerging terminology trends. Of the 570 papers reviewed, there was a rising trend in publications each year. The main keywords in regional anesthesia were ultrasound guidance, nerve, analgesia, and pain score. Key research areas were regional anesthesia, ultrasound guidance, approach, pain score, and plane block. The U.S. led in research. Stanford University, University of Toronto, and Cork University Hospital were central institutions. Chan V was the top author with 24 articles, while Marhofer P was the most cited at 150 times. Regional anesthesia and pain medicine were the predominant journal in both publications and citations. In conclusion, research in this field consistently grew yearly, and visualization showcased trends in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia. These visuals provided key bibliometric insights, helping researchers further explore and understand this domain.