DOI: 10.36347/sasjm.2015.v01i02.005

Pages: Page: 66-70

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether continuous sedation using propofol and remifentanil could provide acceptable anesthesia and be suitable as an ambulatory anesthetic alternative to ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block for distal radius plate removal. We anesthetized 60 patients undergoing distal radius volar plate removal using continuous sedation with propofol and remifentanil (group S) or an ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block (group B).In group S, the pain levels following the application of local anesthesia (P < 0.001) were significantly lower than those in group B. Intraoperative pain, including tourniquet pain, did not significantly differ between the groups (P = 0.561). Furthermore, the postoperative pain scores when the patients left the postanesthesia care unit were not significantly different between the groups (P = 0.291). In terms of adverse events, three (10%) patients complained of nausea in group S. In contrast, five patients (17%) experienced Horner syndrome, three patients (10%) complained of postoperative mild dyspnea, and four (13%) felt paresthesia in group B. Based on our results, continuous sedation using propofol and remifentanil provided acceptable anesthesia and comprises a suitable alternative for ambulatory anesthesia during distal radius plate removal to an ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block.