Comparison of the Supraclavicular, Infraclavicular and Axillary Approaches for Ultrasound-Guided Brachial Plexus Block for Surgical Anesthesia

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101 patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery below the shoulder were randomized to receive ultrasound guided brachial plexus block through a supraclavicular, infraclavicular, or axillary approach. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant differences in block performance time, quality of nerve block, or proportion of failed blocks when comparing anaesthetic approaches up to thirty minutes after surgery completion. Results demonstrated that axillary block performance times were significantly longer when compared to supraclavicular and infraclavicular approaches, however, the authors of this study deemed this difference to be practically and clinically insignificant. Additionally, all other outcomes of interest, including the proportion of failed blocks, patient discomfort, and the correlation between increased body mass index and increased time to block performance, were comparable between all study groups.