Continuous intercostal nerve block for pain relief after thoracotomy.
Others have demonstrated the effectiveness of intercostal analgesia with bupivacaine hydrochloride (Marcain Plain; Astra). We present a greatly simplified method of effecting this. Our method is dependent on an intact pleura. To date, we have utilized this technique in 81 patients. Seventy-five (92.6%) required no additional analgesic in the first 24 hours following operation and 66 (81.5%), in the subsequent four days. Only 2 patients had postoperative pulmonary complications. No complication related either to the procedure or to the infusion of bupivacaine occurred. The technique as described here is a safe and reliable method of providing analgesia without any side effects after thoracotomy.
Sabanathan
S
S
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Bradford Royal Infirmary, England.
Smith
P J
PJ
Pradhan
G N
GN
Hashimi
H
H
Eng
J B
JB
Mearns
A J
AJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002045:Bupivacaine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007367:Intercostal Nerves; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D013900:Thoracic Nerves; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*
D002045:Bupivacaine