Ultrasound-guided superficial cervical plexus block combined with clavipectoral fascial plane block or interscalene brachial plexus block in clavicle surgery: a single-centre, double-blind, randomized controlled trial

Letter to the editor

We review the study by Xu et al. (J Clin Monit Comput 37(4):985-992, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-022-00968-1 ) on ultrasound-guided regional blocks in clavicle surgery, assessing the effects on anaesthesia and postoperative outcomes. However, there are concerns. The defined population of the study differs from the registered title (Xu et al. J Clin Monit Comput 37(4):985-992, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-022-00968-1 ). In particular, the authors did not specify fracture types (Xu et al. J Clin Monit Comput 37(4):985-992, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-022-00968-1 ). In addition, the method of measuring the diaphragm is not clear (Xu et al. J Clin Monit Comput 37(4):985-992, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-022-00968-1 ). This affects the accurate interpretation of their results.

Single injection technique with ultrasound-guided superficial cervical fascia block combined with brachial plexus block in clavicular surgery: a prospective randomized comparative trial

BACKGROUND

To investigate the effects of a single injection technique with ultrasound-guided superficial cervical fascia block combined with brachial plexus block in clavicular surgery.

METHODS

Forty patients, 25 males and 15 females, aged 18-85 years with ASA class I or II underwent unilateral clavicular fracture internal fixation. The patients were randomly divided into a superficial cervical plexus block group (group S, n = 20) and a superficial cervical fascia block group (group F, n = 20). First, the brachial plexus of the intermuscular sulcus of all patients was blocked with an ultrasound-guided injection of one injection with 15ml 0.33% ropivacaine 15ml in both groups. Second, the superficial cervical plexus was blocked by another injection of 5-8ml 0.33% ropivacaine in group S, and the superficial cervical fascia was blocked by an injection with 5-8ml 0.33% ropivacaine in Group F. We evaluated operation time, onset time of anaesthesia, effective time and the grades of nerve block effect in the two groups. Additionally, we evaluated the incidences of local anaesthetic poisoning, hoarseness, dyspnoea, and postoperative nausea and vomiting, and the number of patients requiring remedial analgesia within 24 h. Repeated measurements were analysed by repeated data analysis of variance, and count data were compared by the χ2 test. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The operation time and onset time in Group F were significantly shorter than those in group S (P < 0.05); the effect of intraoperative block was better than that in group S (P < 0.05), and the effective time was significantly longer in group F than in group S (P < 0.05). However, no severe case of dyspnoea, local anaesthetic poisoning or hoarseness after anaesthesia occurred in either of two groups. There was no significant difference in the rate of postoperative salvage analgesia or that of postoperative nausea and vomiting between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of the single injection technique with ultrasound-guided superficial cervical fascia block combined with brachial plexus block in clavicular surgery is beneficial because it shortens the operation time, has a faster onset, produces a more effective block and prolongs the longer analgesia time.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry- ChiCTR2200064642(13/10/2022).