A Comparative Study between Ultrasound and Neurostimulation Guided Axillary Brachial Plexus Block

SummaryBackground and objectivesThe use of ultrasound in Regional Blocks is increasingly more frequent. However, very few studies comparing ultrasound and neurostimulation have been conducted. The objective of this study was to compare neurostimulation- guided axillary brachial plexus block with double injection and ultrasound-guided axillary plexus block for hand surgeries. The time to perform the technique, success rate, and complications were compared.MethodsAfter approval by the Ethics on Research Committee of the Hospital Governador Celso Ramos, 40 patients scheduled for elective hand surgeries under axillary plexus block were selected. Patients were randomly divided into two groups with 20 patients each: Neurostimulation (NE) and Ultrasound (US) groups. The time to perform the technique, success rate, and complication rate were compared.ResultsComplete blockade, partial failure, and total failure rates did not show statistically significant differences between the US and NE groups. The mean time to perform the technique in the US group (354 seconds) was not statistically different than that of the NE group (381 seconds). Patients in the NE group had a higher incidence of vascular punctures (40%) when compared with those in the US group (10%, p