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Brachial Plexus Blocks Above the Clavicle

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Regional Nerve Blocks in Anesthesia and Pain Therapy

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Abstract

The interscalene brachial plexus block is an effective analgesic and anesthetic technique for shoulder and proximal humeral surgery. Reduced dosages of local anesthetic are commonly used for ultrasound-guided interscalene block compared to landmark and nerve stimulator-guided techniques. Supraclavicular block is effective for surgery and postoperative analgesia of the entire upper limb. The supraclavicular block has become re-popularized with the increased use of ultrasound. The landmark and nerve stimulator-guided techniques for blocks above the clavicle have largely been replaced with ultrasound-guided techniques. Interscalene and supraclavicular brachial plexus block have been subject to large-scale studies investigating quality and safety.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria Pde, 2900, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia

    Michael J. Barrington MBBS, FANZCA, PhD

  2. Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Michael J. Barrington MBBS, FANZCA, PhD

  3. Department of Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    Anthony Hade

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  1. Michael J. Barrington MBBS, FANZCA, PhD
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Correspondence to Michael J. Barrington MBBS, FANZCA, PhD .

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Barrington, M.J., Hade, A. (2015). Brachial Plexus Blocks Above the Clavicle. In: Regional Nerve Blocks in Anesthesia and Pain Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05131-4_29

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05131-4_29

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-05130-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-05131-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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