Peribulbar block in 500 patients scheduled for eye procedures and treated with acetyl salicylic acid.
OBJECTIVE
No guidelines are available in France for peribulbar block for eye procedures. It is our hypothesis that continued use of acetyl salicylic acid for forestalling myocardial or cerebrovascular ischemic events does not increase the risk of hemorrhage, compared with discontinuation of its use in patients who undergo eye procedures under peribulbar block.


METHODS
For this prospective control study we enrolled two groups of 500 patients scheduled for intra-ocular eye surgery requiring a peribulbar block. Patients treated with acetyl salicylic acid were included in group A (500 patients). Patients who had never been treated with acetyl salicylic acid constituted the control group (group B: 500 patients). Hemorrhages were graded as follows: 1=spot ecchymosis; 2=lid ecchymosis involving half of the lid surface area or less; 3=lid ecchymosis all around the eye, without increase in intra-ocular pressure; 4=retrobulbar hemorrhage with increased intraocular pressure.


RESULTS
In group A, lid hemorrhages (grade 1) were observed in 30 patients (6.0%). No grade 2, 3 or 4 hemorrhages were encountered in this group. In group B, lid hemorrhage (grade 1) was observed in 20 patients (4.0%) and grade 2 in one patient (0.2 %), but no grade 3 or 4 hemorrhages were encountered. Statistical tests showed the absence of significance between both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that between the groups with and without pre-operative acetyl salicylic acid the occurrence rate of lid hemorrhage was not significant in peribulbar block.
Department of Anaesthesia, Rouen University Hospital, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rouen, France. Emile.calenda@chu-rouen.fr
Emile
E
Calenda
Annie
A
Cardon-Guiton
Olivier
O
Genevois
Julie
J
Gueudry
Marc
M
Muraine
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D011446:Prospective Studies
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D001241:Aspirin