Somatic paravertebral nerve blockade. Incidence of failed block and complications

Anaesthesia. 2001 Dec;56(12):1184-8. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2044.2001.02084-2.x.

Abstract

The failure rate and complications following thoracic and lumbar paravertebral blocks performed in 620 adults and 42 children were recorded. The technique failure rate in adults was 6.1%. No failures occurred in children. The complications recorded were: inadvertent vascular puncture (6.8%); hypotension (4.0%); haematoma (2.4%); pain at site of skin puncture (1.3%); signs of epidural or intrathecal spread (1.0%); pleural puncture (0.8%); pneumothorax (0.5%). No complications were noted in the children. The use of a bilateral paravertebral technique was found approximately to double the likelihood of inadvertent vascular puncture (9% vs. 5%) and to cause an eight-fold increase in pleural puncture and pneumothorax (3% vs. 0.4%), when compared with unilateral blocks. The incidence of other complications was similar between bilateral and unilateral blocks.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / etiology
  • Female
  • Hematoma / etiology
  • Humans
  • Hypotension / etiology
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nerve Block / adverse effects*
  • Nerve Block / methods
  • Pain / etiology
  • Pleura / injuries
  • Pneumothorax / etiology
  • Prospective Studies
  • Spinal Nerves* / injuries
  • Treatment Failure