View clinical trials related to Nerve Block Assessment.
Filter by:Anesthetizing nerves in the extremities is an effective way to freeze an area in preparation for surgery. The doctor injects local anesthetic in an appropriate area, interrupting signals from nerves in that area that control movement and sensation. Depending on how much anesthetic is injected, the doctor can impair both movement and sensation or sensation alone. Currently, there are a few methods used to determine how much sensation a patient has in an area, such as testing the patient's response to a pinprick or cold sensation on the skin. Unfortunately, these methods are subjective and don't always give an accurate measurement of how extensive the block is. For this reason, a more accurate and objective method of assessing nerve blocks is needed. We wish to perform a study to test two nerve stimulation devices to compare their ability to give adequate measurements of nerve activity before and after local anesthesia. If we find that a common nerve stimulator can consistently give accurate readings of nerve activity, anesthesiologists may be able to use this device to determine how well a nerve block is working and adjust the patient's anesthesia accordingly.