title: Clinical evaluation of post-operative analgesia comparing suprascapular nerve block and interscalene brachial plexus block in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopic surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Shoulder arthroscopic surgeries have a high incidence of severe post-operative pain significant enough to interfere with recovery and rehabilitation. A regional anaesthetic technique combined with general anaesthesia reduces intra-operative requirements of anaesthesia and provides a better post-operative pain relief. As the commonly employed technique of interscalene brachial plexus block (ISB) is associated with potential serious complications, suprascapular nerve block (SSB) can be used as a safer alternative.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective study, 60 ASA 1 or 2 adult patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopic surgery were randomised into two groups - ISB and SSB. In group ISB, ISB with 20 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine mixed with 75 μg clonidine was given. In the SSB group SSB was given with 15 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine with 75 μg clonidine. Pain was assessed using visual analogue scale and verbal pain scale scores and time to first rescue analgesia was noted. We used Student's t test and Chi-square/Fisher Exact test and used a statistical software to compare data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the present study, the mean duration of analgesia was 2.53 ± 2.26 h in SSB group compared to 7.23 ± 6.83 h in group ISB (p value < 0.05). Overall rescue analgesic requirements were higher in SSB group compared to ISB group (63.3% versus 40.0%) but this was statistically not significant (p value > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both interscalene and SSB can be used to provide intra-operative and post-operative analgesia in patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kumara
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Anoop Raj
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Gogia
authors.affiliation: Consultant, Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Bajaj
authors.affiliation: Senior Specialist and Assistant Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive care, Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Nidhi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agarwal
keywords: Anaesthesia; Interscalene block; Post-operative analgesia; Shoulder arthroscopy; Suprascapular nerve block