Objectives:

With the widespread use of ultrasonography, peripheral nerve blocks are used as an effective anesthesia technique in most surgical procedures. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of paresthesia in brachial plexus blockade performed at different levels.

Materials and Methods:

Patients who underwent peripheral nerve block for upper extremity surgery in Ibni Sina Hospital Orthopedics Operating Room were included in this study. Demographic data of the patients, type and duration of operation, type of brachial plexus block, local anesthetic dose, sedation and additional anesthetic requirement were recorded from patients’ files. The presence of sensory or motor deficits lasting more than 6 months in the postoperative period was defined as prolonged paresthesia.

Results:

Our study included 205 patients who underwent upper extremity surgery. Of these patients, 50% (n=102) had hand surgery, 25% (n=51) had forearm surgery, and 25% (n=51) had shoulder surgery. Supraclavicular blockade was performed in 44.4% (n=91), axillary blockade in 29.8% (n=61), and interscalene blockade in 25.6% (n=53). The mean age of the patients was 44.44±16.73 years. 52.2% (n=107) were male and 47.8% (n=98) were female. The incidence of paresthesia was 36.1% (n=74). Among the patients, 30.2% (n=62) reported numbness, 25.4% (n=52) reported tingling, 4.4% (n=9) reported abnormal sensation, 16.6% (n=34) reported pain, and 23.9% reported weakness. There was no statistically significant difference between patients with and without paresthesia in terms of demographic data, type of blockade, sedation, duration of surgery, and amount of local anesthesia (p>0.05). 52.7% (n=39) of patients had paresthesia for 6 months or less, 47.3% (n=35) had paresthesia longer than 6 months. Although not statistically significant, paresthesia lasting longer than 6 months was more common in the supraclavicular blockade group (p>0.05).

Conclusion:

The incidence of paresthesia is high in upper extremity peripheral nerve block and many undetermined risk factors may be effective. Therefore, a detailed preoperative evaluation should be performed when selecting patients.

Keywords: Paresthesia, Upper Extremity, Brachial Plexus, Nerve Blockade