Perivascular Axillary Block I: Blockade Following 40 ml 1 % Mepivacaine with Adrenaline

Abstract

Perivascular axillary block was performed on 80 patients by a catheter technique. All patients had a standard dose of 40 ml mepivacaine 1% with adrenaline [epinephrine]. Thirty minutes after the injection, the motor and sensory blockade was determined. Of the patients 86% had a distinct motor blockade, whereas 14% had only a slight motor blockade. The sensory blockade was complete in 63%, and 37% had lack of analgesia in 1 or several cutaneous areas. Lack of analgesia was most often found in the cutaneous area of the axillary, musculocutaneous and radial nerves. The frequency of analgesia in the 3 areas of innervation was analyzed with reference to the influence of the patient''s age, height and weight and of differences in technique i.e., paraesthesias, position of cather, and unintended puncture of blood vessels. None of these variables seems to be important for the low frequency of analgesia in the 3 areas of innervation.