Comparison of three techniques for ultrasound-guided femoral nerve catheter insertion: a randomized, blinded trial.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Ultrasound guidance for continuous femoral perineural catheters may be supplemented by electrical stimulation through a needle or through a stimulating catheter. The authors tested the primary hypothesis that ultrasound guidance alone is noninferior on both postoperative pain scores and opioid requirement and superior on at least one of the two. Second, the authors compared all interventions on insertion time and incremental cost.

Methods

Patients having knee arthroplasty with femoral nerve catheters were randomly assigned to catheter insertion guided by: (1) ultrasound alone (n = 147); (2) ultrasound and electrical stimulation through the needle (n = 152); or (3) ultrasound and electrical stimulation through both the needle and catheter (n = 138). Noninferiority

SUBMITTER: Farag E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4110116 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature