title: Patient controlled regional analgesia after carpal tunnel release: a double-blind study using distal perineural catheters.
abstract: This study was done to assess the efficacy of a perineural catheter for pain relief following carpal tunnel release (CTR). Sixty-six patients undergoing open CTR under local anaesthesia (LA) were randomly divided into three groups: Groups A and B had a perineural catheter and Group C served as non-blinded control group. Postoperative pain relief was by self-administration of either ropivacaine (Group A) or saline (Group B) via an elastometric pump and by oral paracetamol in Group C. Patients in Group A had a significantly greater difference in summed pain intensity than Group B. Fewer patients in Group A requested supplementary analgesics than in Group C. Patient satisfaction was higher in Group A than in Group B on day 1. However better analgesia was not associated with better functional recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Institution for Clinical Medicine, University Hospital, Örebro and University of Linköping, Sweden. anil.gupta@orebroll.se
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Narinder
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rawal
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Magnuson
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alnehill
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pettersson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000577:Amides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000379:methods*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000601:surgery*; D002404:Catheterization; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000077212:Ropivacaine; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000577:Amides; D000700:Analgesics; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077212:Ropivacaine