title: Continuous cervical epidural anesthesia in hand surgery.
abstract: Regional anesthesia, with its known benefits such as increased blood flow, reduced cost, and security, is a method of choice for hand surgery. Recently, the authors have switched from axillary block to continuous cervical epidural anesthesia, which has several advantages such as low cost, a pain-free postoperative period, better control of tourniquet pain, and the avoidance of a motor block so that early active motion is possible. Continuous cervical epidural anesthesia is a safe and reliable method, providing a sensory block with an infusion rate of 4 ml/hr ultracaine (articaine 2 percent), and a motor block when the dosage is increased to 8 ml/hr ultracaine (articaine 2 percent). Postoperatively, only 4 ml/hr ultracaine (articaine 2 percent) is sufficient to provide a sensory block. The method provides both good perfusion and a lower local anesthetic drug dosage than axillary block.
authors.affiliation: Instanbul Hand and Microsurgery Center, Aksaray, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noyan
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cepel
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ural
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozel
mesh_terms: D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002355:Carticaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D006225:Hand / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D012092:Replantation; D013997:Time Factors; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002355:Carticaine