Understanding Anesthesiology - The Global Regional Anesthesia ...

A catheter can be inserted to provide surgical anesthesia
or post-operative analgesia for an indefinite period
of time.
There are many potential complications of a brachial
plexus block. LA toxicity is a risk because of the large
volumes of LA used and the proximity of the injection
site to major vessels. Any block can lead to hematoma
formation, nerve injury or infection. The supraclavicular
and interscalene blocks pose the additional risks of
pneumothorax, phrenic nerve block and recurrent laryngeal
nerve block. Consequently, bilateral blocks are
contraindicated. Intrathecal injection is a rare complication
of interscalene block.
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