Clavicle fractures occur in 35% of shoulder girdle fractures. Surgical fixation is preferred, especially in young patients for optimal functional outcomes, while nondisplaced fractures are usually treated conservatively. A 38-year-old male patient was admitted to the emergency services with a fracture of the left clavicle following a fall. During the preoperative evaluation, the patient requested to be awake during the surgery. Combined supraclavicular and superficial cervical plexus block was performed under ultrasound guidance without complications and the patient experienced no pain. This technique may avoid possible complications related to interscalene brachial plexus block. Future studies are required to confirm the safety and efficacy of this approach.

Objective: Erector spinae plane (ESP) block is an alternative to neuraxial block for post-surgical pain in nephrectomy patients. However, no clinical trial has directly compared ESP block with a control group. Methods: In a single-center, double-blind randomized comparative trial, patients undergoing nephrectomy with a subcostal flank incision under general anesthesia were divided into the following two groups: ESP block group (ESP block before anesthesia) and non-ESP (control) group (no intervention). The primary outcome measure was pain score (Numeric Rating Scale [NRS] 0 to 10). Secondary outcomes were postoperative opiate use, anesthetic and surgical complications, length of hospital stay, and patient-reported outcomes. Results: Postoperatively (0 to 24 hours), the ESP block group experienced less pain and had lower NRS pain scores 0 to 24 hours postoperatively than the non-ESP group. Opioid consumption and the number of rescue analgesic doses decreased significantly in the ESP group compared with the non-ESP group. Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (Quality of Recovery-15) scores significantly improved in the ESP group compared with the non-ESP block group. Conclusions: Patients receiving an ESP block for intraoperative and postoperative analgesia during radical nephrectomies experienced less postoperative pain 0 to 24 hours compared with the non-ESP group.

Background: Effective postoperative pain management after total abdominal hysterectomy is crucial for patient recovery and satisfaction. This study compared the efficacy of the erector spinae plane block (ESPB) and quadratus lumborum block (QLB) in reducing postoperative opioid consumption and pain in patients with total abdominal hysterectomy. Methods: In this prospective, randomized controlled trial, 90 patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy were divided into 3 groups: ESPB, QLB, and control. The primary outcome was postoperative opioid consumption. Secondary outcomes included pain scores assessed by the visual analog scale at predetermined times and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Statistical significance was determined using analysis of variance, the Mann–Whitney U test, and the Kruskal–Wallis test. Results: The ESPB and QLB groups showed a significant reduction in postoperative opioid consumption compared with the control group (P < .001 for both comparisons). Pain scores were significantly lower in the ESPB and QLB groups than in the control group at 2, 6, and 24 hours postoperatively (P < .001 at each time point). The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was lower in the ESPB and QLB groups than that in the control group; however, this difference was not statistically significant (P = .029). No significant differences were observed in opioid consumption or pain scores between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Both the erector spinae plane and quadratus lumborum blocks effectively reduced postoperative opioid consumption and pain in patients with total abdominal hysterectomy. These techniques offer a promising approach for postoperative pain management, potentially reducing the need for opioids.

Introduction The cervical plexus block (CPB) has been used for a long time for both analgesia and anesthesia in carotid endarterectomy and thyroid operations. To be unfamiliar with the technique and its perceived difficulty, potential risks, and possible adverse effects such as intravascular injection has limited broader use before the practical use of ultrasound. We hypothesize that the cervical plexus block can provide adequate anesthesia in tracheostomy cases and provide excellent anesthesia comfort when combined with a translaryngeal block. Methods This double-blinded, randomized 29 patients undergoing primary tracheostomy operation to receive either CPB (Group S) or CPB with translaryngeal block (Group ST). The primary outcome was cumulated analgesic consumption during the first 24 postoperative hours. Secondary outcomes were as follows: pain related to incision, patient tolerance as assessed by tracheostomy cannula comfort score, cough and gag, pain at rest, nausea and vomiting, and time to first analgesic demand. Results The patient tolerance for tracheostomy was higher in Group ST than Group S. The median tracheostomy cannula comfort score was 4.0 in Group S. In contrast, the median score was significantly lower in group ST (P<.001). The cough and gag reflex scores were significantly lower in Group ST than Group S (1.0 vs 4.0, P<.001). Conclusion This trial supported the hypothesis that the CPB combined with the translaryngeal block yields excellent anesthesia for tracheostomies. The technique we briefly described, in a way, is the equivalent of awake fiberoptic intubation to awake tracheostomy with minimal sedation adjusted according to airway patency.