Serratus Anterior Block Research Articles

A Comparative Study of Erector Spinae Block versus Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Pain Management Following Video Assisted Thorocoscopic Surgery

Abstract Background Pain is an everyday challenge during all surgeries and it is a chief postoperative complication, so pain management is a corner stone in anesthetic practice. Minimally invasive thoracic surgery (MITS) has become more common over the past decade, with the proportion of lung resections performed using this technique increasing from 16% in 2005 to 47% in 2015. MITS includes both video-assisted and robotic-assisted techniques, with smaller skin incisions and chest wall trauma compared with open thoracotomy, Benefits include reduced postoperative pain, morbidity, and shorter hospital stay. Objective To compare efficacy between Serratus anterior block and Erector supinae block in Video assisted thoracoscopic surgery for minimally invasive thoracic surgery as regard post operative opioid consumption. Patients and Methods The study was conducted in Ain Shams University Hospitals after approval of the ethics committee and written patients‟ consent. It included a total of 40 adult patients aged 18-70 years, Scheduled for video assisted thoracoscopic surgeries. Patients were randomly divided into two equal groups, 20each, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results Intraoperative fentanyl consumption, postoperative opioid consumption and 1st rescue analgesic use were significantly lower in the ESPB group (P < 0.05). NRS scores were significantly lower in the ESPB group (P < 0.05) than SAPB from 2 to 8 hour only, mean arterial pressure and Heart rate was significantly lower from 2hour to 8hour in ESPB than SAPB but there were no significant difference in hemodynamics intraoperative. Conclusion Clinicians could develop a preference for either ESPB or SAPB for pain control after VATS based on their clinical experiences and personal choices. However, our study showed that US-guided ESPB may provide better pain control than SAPB.

Comparative Study between Modified Pectoral Nerve Block versus Serratus Block for Analgesia For Modified Radical Mastectomy

Abstract Background One of the main objectives of anesthesia is to alleviate the patient’s pain and agony, by ensuring the performance of surgical procedures without any discomfort. Elimination of postoperative pain is indispensable due to the central, peripheral and immunological stress response to tissue injury. So there is a need for extended analgesia without any side effects to achieve this goal. Objective To assess the analgesic efficiency and safety of both Modified Pectoral Nerve Block versus Serratus Block in cases of modified radical mastectomy (MRM). The duration of analgesia and effect on hemodynamic parameters were evaluated. Moreover, undesirable side effects were studied. Patients and Methods The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of both PECS II block versus and Serratus anterior block in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy surgery. The duration of analgesia and effect on hemodynamics parameters were evaluated. Moreover, undesirable side effects were studied. forty patients were randomly allocated into two equal groups (20 patients): group (A) and group (B). Group (A): received a PECSII block with 30 mL of bupivacaine 0.25%. Group(B): received a serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) using the same volume of 30 ml bupivacaine 0.25%. Results This study demonstrated that PECSII and serratus blocks have comparable analgesic properties in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy. Both blocks were associated with reduced postoperative pain intensity and morphine consumption, intraoperative fentanyl requirement, and prolonged analgesia. The two blocks were associated with hemodynamic stability and absence of major complications characterizes both blocks. Conclusion This study confirms that PECSII and serratus blocks provide similarly adequate analgesia following modified radical mastectomy.

Hyaluronidase versus Verapamil as Adjuvant in Serratus Anterior Block for Postoperative Pain after Radical Mastectomy: A Prospective Study

Hyaluronidase versus Verapamil as Adjuvant in Serratus Anterior Block for Postoperative Pain after Radical Mastectomy: A Prospective Study

Usefulness of ultrasound-guided serratus-anterior block in prevention of postoperative pain after breast surgery. A cohort study

ObjectiveTo evaluate superficial serratus anterior plane block's efficacy and side effects in preventing postoperative pain after breast cancer surgery. MethodologyA prospective cohort study was conducted on 195 adult patients undergoing breast oncological surgery under general anesthesia (Group G, n = 96) or combined general anesthesia with superficial serratus anterior plane block (Group L, n = 99).Validated preoperative data, which are predictors of chronic postoperative pain of patients, were recorded (type of surgery, age, pain in the area of the intervention and the other regions; anesthetic-surgical data, analgesic doses used, duration of surgery; pain intensity (EVN scale) at immediate postoperative period, 24 h, seven days and one month after the surgery, and complications. ResultsPain intensity, measured by the EVN scale, had a mean of 1.02 +/− 1.656 in the Postoperative Unit; 1.20 +/− 1.448 at 24 h; 0.76 +/− 1208 seven days; and 0.34 +/− 0.757 one month after surgery.Patients were operated under general anesthesia (n = 96) or general anesthesia combined with the interfascial block (n = 99). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in age, height, and VAS scale in PACU. Ten complications were recorded, six in Group L and four in Group G. There were no differences between groups in complications. ConclusionsSuperficial serratus anterior plane blocks are effective and safe in pain control in the immediate postoperative period for breast cancer surgery as a part of the multimodal approach. No significant differences were found one week and one month after surgery.

Perioperative pain therapy in minimally invasive thoracic surgery

Thoracic surgery is often associated with severe postoperative pain levels. Even though these are less pronounced in thoracoscopic approaches, mechanical irritation, compression or injury of intercostal nerves and placement of chest tubes can cause pain levels, which must be treated. An adequate pain therapy in thoracic surgery is essential as insufficient inspiration due to inadequate analgesia may result in postoperative complications. Epidural anesthesia was considered the gold standard in thoracotomy for along time. For video-assisted thoracoscopy, however, it is sometimes no longer recommended due to its benefit-risk ratio. Alternative thoracic blocks are the paravertebral block, the erector spinae plane block and the serratus anterior block, for which research has found heterogeneous results.This article summarizes the current recommendations for perioperative management of thoracoscopic surgery and gives an overview of the PROSPECT recommendations as well as the current Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF) guidelines for perioperative and postoperative pain therapy. In particular, individual regional anesthesia techniques and their current evidence are reviewed.

Comparison between ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block and thoracic epidural for postoperative analgesia after modified radical mastectomy

Background Patients undergoing breast surgery require a multimodal postoperative pain treatment regimen that provides high-quality analgesia with minimal side effects. The aim of this study was to compare between the efficiency of serratus anterior plane block and thoracic epidural analgesia in terms of postoperative pain relief in the first 24 h determined by the visual analog scale (VAS) score. The second aim was to compare between the two methods as regards duration of the procedure in minutes, incidence of adverse effects, total analgesic consumption in the first 24 h, and patient satisfaction. Patients and methods Forty female patients aged 25–50 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists class II or III scheduled for elective unilateral modified radical mastectomy were studied. Patients were randomly allocated to two groups; group E (epidural group) (n=20) received 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine and group S (serratus anterior block group) (n=20) received 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. Results There was no difference between both groups as regards demographic data, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, SpO2, and end-tidal CO2 and associated complications. Moreover, group E had a significant lower VAS score than group S. Group E took longer time to perform the analgesic technique. Group E required significantly less rescue analgesia in the first 24 h. Group S analgesic duration was significantly shorter than in group E. Conclusions Serratus anterior plane block is a good, simple alternative and a safe technique than thoracic epidural analgesia both providing effective intraoperative analgesia and prolonged postoperative pain relief after breast surgery with comparable postoperative VAS score in the first 24 h.

Effectiveness of adding magnesium sulfate to bupivacaine in ultrasound guided serratus anterior plane block in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy

ABSTRACT Background This research work investigated the effect of magnesium sulfate added to bupivacaine in serratus anterior block in cases of modified radical mastectomy. Patients and method A total of 80 female patients of ASA I and II were randomly assigned into two equal groups depending on the adjuvant added to bupivacaine. B group: patients received 20 ml 0.5% bupivacaine with 5 ml 0.9% normal saline. BM group: patients received 20 ml 0.5% bupivacaine+150 mg magnesium sulfate in 0.9% normal saline with a total volume of 25 ml in both groups. Primary aim was to test the effect of magnesium sulfate when added to bupivacaine on pain intensity. Secondary targets were to detect the haemodynamics, safety and any side effects of magnesium sulfate. Results Visual analogue scale measurement showed statistical significant decrease after 4 hours till 24 hours postoperatively in BM group more than in B group. Mean time to first rescue analgesia in BM group was 11.73 ± 1.91 hours versus 8.13 ± 1.38 hours in B group with P value < 0.001. The mean total dose of nalbuphine used was statistically significantly decreased in BM group, as it was 15.50 ± 3.89 mg in B group and 9.63 ± 4.44 mg in BM group with P value < 0.001. Occurrence of complications in both groups showed insignificant statistical difference. Conclusions Magnesium sulfate with bupivacaine in serratus anterior plane block produced prolonged analgesia postoperatively without significant haemodynamic instability with significant decline in the total dose of rescue analgesic with minimal side effects.

Efficacy and safety of the serratus anterior block compared to thoracic epidural analgesia in surgery: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) and thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) in thoracic region surgery. We implemented a systematic search of PubMed, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, and Web of Science and through gray literature for all randomized controlled trials that compared SAPB, a novel thoracic wall nerve block, and TEA in surgery. The evaluated outcomes included the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), hypotension, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Review Manager, version 5.4.1, was implemented for the analysis of statistics. The pooled analysis included six trials that fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In total 384, surgery had received regional blocks (162 - SAPB and 163 - TEA). VAS did not differ significantly between SAPB and TEA, with a mean difference of 0.71, P = 0.08. PONV incidence did not differ significantly between SAPB and TEA (odds ratio = 0.25, P = 0.07). Hypotension incidence was lower in SAPB compared to TEA (odds ratio = 0.10, P = 0.0001). SAPB yielded comparable VAS with TEA in pain management of thoracic region surgery. The incidence of hypotension was lower in SAPB than in TEA. No difference in PONV incidence was observed. SAPB can be a viable alternative to TEA in thoracic region surgery.

Effect of Regional Anesthesia Timing on Association with Delirium among Geriatric Trauma Patients with Multiple Rib Fractures

INTRODUCTION: Rib fractures cause significant morbidity among geriatric trauma patients, and elderly patients are at increased risk for delirium. Regional anesthesia (RA) has been shown to reduce the need for deliriogenic pain medications. We hypothesized that early use of RA may be associated with decreased delirium among this patient population. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review at our Level I trauma center to identify patients with 2 or more rib fractures from 2018 to 2019. We collected demographics, regional anesthesia type/timing, and outcomes including all Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) assessments recorded for each patient throughout their hospitalization. We calculated percentage of CAM negativity for each hospitalization (percentage of CAM negativity = negative CAM assessments/total CAM assessments × 100). RESULTS: A total of 636 patients with more than 1 rib fracture were identified. A total of 323 patients were older than 60 years. A total of 81 (25.1%) underwent RA (46 epidurals, 26 erector spinae blocks, 7 serratus anterior blocks, and 2 paravertebral blocks), and 242 (74.9%) did not receive RA. Mean percentage of CAM negativity was higher among RA patients than non-RA patients (95.1% vs 91.3%, p = 0.04); however, subgroup analysis showed patients receiving RA after 36 hours of admission had no difference in percentage of CAM negativity compared with non-RA patients (90.2% vs 91.3%, p = 0.78; Figure). Timing of RA did not affect in-hospital mortality, overall length of stay, ICU length of stay, or ventilator days.Figure.: CAM, Confusion Assessment Method.CONCLUSION: Among elderly trauma patients with multiple rib fractures, regional anesthesia use is associated with decreased rates of delirium; however, this effect is lost when RA is initiated more than 36 hours after admission.

Ultrasound Guided Pecs II and Serratus Anterior Blocks as a Sole Anesthetic Technique for Reduction Mastopexy under Light Sedation in Elderly Female with Multiple Comorbidities

Ultrasound Guided Pecs II and Serratus Anterior Blocks as a Sole Anesthetic Technique for Reduction Mastopexy under Light Sedation in Elderly Female with Multiple Comorbidities

Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior block versus instillation of local anaesthetic through surgical drain in modified radical mastectomy: A randomized controlled study

ABSTRACT Background The primary outcome measure of this study was to compare ultrasound-guided serratus anterior block versus instillation of local anesthetic through the surgical drain in modified radical mastectomy patients as regards the duration of analgesia between the two techniques. Material and methods This prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was conducted on 162 female patients aged 25–50 years, ASA 1, ASA 2, selected for elective unilateral modified radical mastectomy in the Main University Hospital. Group SABP (n = 81) received 20 ml bupivacaine 0.5% in the plan between serratus anterior and latissimus dorsi muscles. Group LA (n = 81) received 40 ml bupivacaine 0.25%, 20 ml in each surgical drain (axillary and chest wall drain). Results The results of the study revealed that the duration of analgesia lasted for 20.8 hr in the SAPB group, while it was 8.14 hourshr in the LA group (P-value ˂0.001). In most postoperative periods, the SAPB group had lower VAS scores at rest and with movement of the ipsilateral arm compared to the LA group. The overall dose and frequency of the consumed rescue analgesic over the first 24 hr in the postoperative period were significantly lower in the SAPB group than in the second group (P-value <0.001). The SAPB group had higher satisfaction scores than the LA group (P-value <0.001). Conclusion It was concluded that the SAPB technique showed superiority over the anesthetic instillation method in controlling acute post-mastectomy pain with a longer duration of analgesia, more patient satisfaction, and less rescue analgesics were consumed.

223 A Multi-Modal Approach to Nerve Block Teaching

223 A Multi-Modal Approach to Nerve Block Teaching

Serratus Anterior Block for Rib Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background: Effective analgesia is the mainstay of the management of traumatic rib fractures. Serratus anterior block is a newer regional anaesthesia technique used in traumatic rib fractures which may have a favourable safety profile compared to other regional techniques. There is currently a lack of evidence for serratus anterior block and its role in the improvement of mortality, pain, duration of stay and pulmonary complications in patients with traumatic rib fractures in comparison to other regional anaesthesia techniques. Methods: Web of Science and PubMed were searched from inception until April 2022 for studies reporting on the use of a serratus anterior block compared to another therapy for the management of traumatic rib fractures. Primary outcomes were measures of analgesic efficacy. Secondary outcomes were the incidence of intervention related adverse events, hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay and mortality. Results: Seven studies with 649 patients were included. No significant difference was found between serratus anterior block and intravenous opiates in terms of resting pain scores and achievement of mild or no pain after the chosen intervention(p&gt;0.05). There was a statistically, but not clinically significant difference post block pain scores compared to other regional techniques (WMD= 0.63; 95% CI= 0.45 to 0.80; p&lt; 0.00001). Significant differences were found in favour of blocks, specifically thoracic epidural and paravertebral blocks over serratus anterior block in terms of achieving mild or no pain after the block (OR= 0.54; 95% CI=0.32 to 0.90; I2= 0%; p= 0.02). No significant difference was found for any other outcomes. Conclusions: Current literature comparing the serratus anterior block to alternative analgesic options is limited by the end points assessing block success. No data was available assessing the effect on pain during deep inspiration and coughing. This meta-analysis demonstrated similar analgesic efficacy to other regional anaesthesia techniques but a lower incidence of mild or no pain post block compared to traditional epidural or paravertebral techniques. Future studies need to be directed towards important outcomes such as dynamic pain scores and respiratory complication rates. Keywords: Rib fractures, Serratus Anterior, Chest trauma

Comparison of the post-operative analgesic effect of ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block combined with pectoral nerves block Ⅰ and thoracic paravertebral block in radical mastectomy

Objective: To investigate the serratus anterior plane block combined with pectoral nerves block I can produce a non-inferior analgesic effect compared with thoracic paravertebral block for radical mastectomy. Methods: From October 2020 to February 2021, Sixty-four patients of Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University scheduled for radical mastectomy with general anesthesia,were divided into two groups (n = 32 each) using a random number table method: thoracic paravertebral block group (TPVB group) and serratus anterior plane block combined with pectoral nerves block I group (S&P group). All patients received patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) postoperatively. The numerical rating scale (NRS) at post anesthesia care unit (PACU), 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 h after operation were compared between the two groups. Sufentanil cumulative dosage of PCIA in 24 h and 48 h, first press time after operation, total press times, the dosage of propofol, remifentanil and vasoactive drugs during operation, intraoperative blood pressure and heart rate, the operation time of block and adverse effects were all compared. Non-inferiority could be claimed if the difference of sufentanil cumulative dosage in 24 h between S&P group and TPVB group is higher than the negative value (-3.8) of the non-inferiority effect. Results: There was no significant difference in postoperative NRS at PACU, 4, 8, 12, 24, 48 h after operation, first press time after operation, total press times, propofol and remifentanil dosage, sufentanil cumulative dosage of PCIA in 24 h and 48 h, and adverse effects (all P>0.05). The sufentanil cumulative dosage of PCIA in 24 h of S&P group and of TPVB group were (15.8±4.7) μg and (15.2±3.2) μg. The 95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference between S&P group and of TPVB group was -1.478 to 2.694, and the lower limit was greater than non-inferiority margin -3.8. The mean arterial pressure of TPVB patients after induction and at the beginning of the operation were (63±7) mmHg and (70±7) mmHg, which were significantly lower than the (77±5) mmHg and (79±8) mmHg at the same time in the combination group (both P<0.05). The frequency of vasoactive drugs usage in TPVB group was 56.3%, which was statistically significant higher than the 18.8% in S&P group (P<0.01). Nerve block time in TPVB group was 10 (9, 11) min, which was significantly longer than 8 (6, 10) min in S&P group (P<0.01). Conclusion: The serratus anterior block combined with pectoral nerves block I can produce a non-inferior analgesic effect compared with thoracic paravertebral block for radical mastectomy, and the intraoperative hemodynamics is more stable and the block time is shorter than that of thoracic paravertebral block for radical mastectomy.

Serratus Anterior Plane Block Combined with General Analgesia and Patient-Controlled Serratus Anterior Plane Block in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Randomized Control Trial.

Anterior serratus muscle plane block is a novel regional block technique for blockade of the sensory plane of the lateral cutaneous branch of the intercostal nerve (T2-T9), which effectively relieves the pain of patients and improves the quality of recovery. This study aimed to observe the early effectiveness and safety of serratus anterior plane block combined with general anesthesia and patient-controlled serratus anterior plane block in early postoperative recovery in breast cancer. The study involved a total of 84 patients undergoing radical mastectomy in our hospital. The patients were randomly divided into three groups: the serratus anterior block + general anesthesia + patient-controlled serratus anterior plane block group (PCSAPB group), the serratus anterior block + general anesthesia + patient-controlled intravenous analgesia group (PCIA group), and the general anesthesia + PCIA group (control group), with n = 28 cases in each group. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores of the three groups were compared before and after the operation (P < 0.001), and the anxiety visual analogue scale (AVAS) scores after operation were compared among the three groups (P < 0.001). The total number of postoperative analgesic pumps in the PCSAPB group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the three groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The combination of anterior serratus plane block and general anesthesia and patient-controlled anterior serratus plane block reduced pain and adverse events, alleviating anxiety, improving the quality of early postoperative recovery among patients with breast cancer after modified radical mastectomy.

Anesthesia for minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

Due to its potential benefits and increased patient satisfaction minimal invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) is rapidly gaining in popularity. These procedures are not without challenges and require careful planning, pre-operative patient assessment and excellent intraoperative communication. Assessment of patient suitability for MICS by a multi-disciplinary team during pre-operative workup is desirable. MICS requires additional skills that many might not consider to be part of the standard cardiac anesthetic toolkit. Anesthetists involved in MICS need not only be highly skilled in performing transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) but need to be proficient in multimodal analgesia, including locoregional or neuroaxial techniques. MICS procedures tend to cause more postoperative pain than standard median sternotomies do, and patients need analgesic management more in keeping with thoracic operations. Ultrasound guided peripheral regional anesthesia techniques like serratus anterior block can offer an advantage over neuroaxial techniques in patients on anti-platelet therapy or anticoagulation with low molecular weight or unfractionated heparin The article reviews the salient points pertaining to pre-operative assessment and suitability, intraoperative process and postoperative management of minimally invasive cardiac procedures in the operating theatre as well as the catheterization lab. Special emphasis is given to anesthetic management and analgesia techniques.

Anesthesiological considerations in emphysema surgery.

In the last decades, developing thoracic surgery raised the demands for sophisticated anesthesiological management. Especially patients with end-stage thoracic emphysema challenge the anesthesiologist to make modern surgery possible and to provide a safe and effective perioperative management. The development and scientific work-up of single lung ventilation (SLV) laid the cornerstone for surgery of the non-ventilated lung and hemi-thorax. However, modern medicine extended surgical options to extensive tracheal surgery and to patients suffering from severely insufficient lung-capacity precluding single-lung ventilation or artificial ventilation in se. For those critically ill, different techniques were thus developed and evaluated in recent research, among others, non-intubated surgery and surgery under extracorporeal perfusion support that temporarily avoids pulmonary gas exchange and ventilation via the trachea in any way. To tackle postoperative pain with its successive problems of immobilization, insufficient respiration and airway-clearance, regional anesthesia offers great advantages. Thoracic epidural anesthesia (TEA) is considered as the gold standard; complementary, modern ultrasound techniques make regional anesthesia possible even when contraindications prohibit neuraxial blocks. Especially paravertebral block, musculus serratus anterior block, intercostal block and the musculus erector spinae block provide good postoperative pain relief and appear to influence chronic post-thoracotmy pain positively. Careful preoperative preparation, intraoperative monitoring and patient-tailored, individual perioperative management by a well-trained team ensure good results, a good survival and favorable quality of life. This article provides a brief overview over state-of-the-art techniques and future perspectives to provide anesthesia in emphysema surgery.

Comparative randomized study of continuous serratus anterior plane block versus continuous paravertebral block in post-mastectomy pain

BackgroundMany analgesic methods have been used to control post-mastectomy pain. Both thoracic paravertebral and serratus anterior blocks are recent regional techniques with promising results. The aim of this study was to compare safety and analgesic efficacy of both techniques in controlling post-mastectomy pain.MethodsThe study was conducted from January 1, 2019, till January 10, 2019, on 60 female patients ASA class ≤ 2 undergoing modified radical mastectomy. After induction of balanced general anesthesia patients received either continuous thoracic paravertebral block (group P) or continuous serratus anterior block (group S). Twenty milliliters of levobupivacaine 0.25% were injected in each technique under ultrasound guidance followed by continuous infusion of 5 ml/h levobupivacaine 0.125% through a 22-gage catheter. IV morphine was given postoperatively by patient-controlled analgesia. In both groups, we measured time to first dose morphine, total 24 and 48 h morphine consumption, vital signs, visual analog scale, and side effects of each technique.ResultsThe demographic data (age, body mass index, and duration of surgery) were comparable in both groups. The time for first dose of morphine was significantly longer in group P (368 ± 36 min) than group S (270 ± 37.65 min) with P value < 0.001. Total morphine consumption in milligram at both 24 and 48 h were significantly less in group P (8.1 ± 0.8, and 11.5 ± 1 respectively) than in group S (10.1 ± 1.3 and 14.2 ± 1.4), with limited side effects in both groups.ConclusionBoth continuous paravertebral and serratus anterior plane blocks are safe good alternatives to control post-mastectomy pain. However continuous paravertebral block provides better analgesic profile.

Acute pain after serratus anterior plane or thoracic paravertebral blocks for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: A randomised trial.

Serratus anterior and paravertebral blocks can both be used for video-assisted thoracic surgery. However, serratus anterior blocks are easier to perform, and possibly safer. We therefore tested the primary hypothesis that serratus anterior plane blocks and thoracic paravertebral blocks provide comparable analgesia for video-assisted thoracic surgery. Secondarily, we tested the hypothesis that both blocks lengthen the time to onset of surgical pain and reduce the need for rescue tramadol. Patients having video-assisted thoracic lobectomy or segmentectomy were randomly allocated to ultrasound-guided thoracic paravertebral blocks, n = 30; ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane blocks, n = 30; or, general anaesthesia alone, n = 30. Visual analogue pain scores analogue pain scores at rest, during coughing and Prince-Henry pain scores were used to assess postoperative analgesia. Our primary analysis was noninferiority of serratus anterior blocks compared with paravertebral blocks. Baseline characteristics were comparable among the three groups. Two hours after surgery, the mean difference in visual analogue pain scores between the serratus anterior and paravertebral blocks was 0.0 (96.8% CI -0.4 to 0.3) cm at rest, -0.2 (-0.8 to 0.4) cm during coughing and -0.1(-0.5 to 0.3) for Prince-Henry pain scores. After 24 h, the mean difference was 0.0 (-0.7 to 0.8) cm at rest, 0.1 (-0.8 to 0.9) cm during coughing and 0.1(-0.4 to 0.6) for Prince-Henry pain scores. All differences were significantly noninferior. Time to onset of pain after surgery was 19 ± 5 (SD) hours with serratus anterior blocks, 16 ± 5 h with paravertebral blocks and 12 ± 5 h with general anaesthesia. Anaesthesia with either block was associated with significantly less intra-operative propofol and sufentanil, reduced postoperative rescue analgesia (tramadol) and less postoperative nausea and vomiting compared with general anaesthesia alone. Patients with serratus anterior block had a significantly lower incidence of intra-operative hypotension and requirement for intra-operative vasopressor (3.4%), compared with general anaesthesia alone. Serratus anterior block took less time to perform than paravertebral block (5.1 ± 1.1 min versus 10.1 ± 2.9 min). Serratus anterior plane blocks, which are easier and quicker than paravertebral blocks, provide comparable analgesia in patients having video-assisted thoracic surgery. ChiCTR1800017671; http://www.chictr.org.cn/hvshowproject.aspx?id=13510.

The Use of the Erector Spinae Plane Block to Decrease Pain and Opioid Consumption in the Emergency Department: ALiterature Review.

Acute pain represents one of the most common reasons for emergency department (ED) visits. In the opioid epidemic that North America faces, there is a significant demand for novel effective pain control modalities, especially in the acute setting. The goal of this study was to review all the indications and summarize the efficacy of the Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) in the ED. PubMed, EMBASE, and MEDLINE, as well as CINAHL databases were searched according to the PRISMA guidelines to find any study reporting on the use of ESPB in the ED. Ten studies were published reporting on seven different indications for the use of ESPB in the ED. It was most commonly used for rib and spine fractures. Other indications included: mechanical pain, burn injuries, herpes zoster, renal colic, and acute pancreatitis. All the studies demonstrated a significant reduction in pain after administration of ESPB. Furthermore, it has been reported to improve respiratory function and was not associated with any complications after administration. ESPB is an easy-to-administer interfascial plane block that has several indications and promising potential for acute pain management in the ED. The easily identified landmarks coupled with its low complication rate makes it an appealing technique to be used by emergency physicians in the context of acute pain management. Further studies should investigate any other possible indications and compare its efficacy with other techniques, such as epidurals and serratus anterior blocks.