Early Detection of Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block Failure Using Infrared Thermography and Perfusion Index

Summary

Successful peripheral nerve blockade is fundamental to modern regional anesthesia, particularly for upper limb surgeries. Ensuring the efficacy of a nerve block early in the perioperative period is critical, as delayed recognition of block failure may lead to intraoperative pain, the need for additional sedation or general anesthesia, and overall poorer patient outcomes. Conventional methods for assessing block success, such as sensory testing with pinprick or cold stimuli and motor assessment using strength scales, require patient cooperation and often take 15-30 minutes to yield definitive results. These delays are especially limiting in fast-paced surgical environments or when early decisions regarding anesthesia management are necessary. Emerging non-invasive monitoring technologies offer promising alternatives for the early, objective assessment of block efficacy. Infrared Thermography (IRT) measures skin surface temperature, which increases due to sympathetic nerve blockade-induced vasodilation.

Timeline

Start

2025-08-15

Primary completion

2026-08-01

Completion

2026-09-01

Publications

• Background Gamal M, Hasanin A, Adly N, Mostafa M, Yonis AM, Rady A, Abdallah NM, Ibrahim M, Elsayad M. Thermal Imaging to Predict Failed Supraclavicular Brachial Plexus Block: A Prospective Observational Study. Local Reg Anesth. 2023 Jun 9;16:71-80. doi: 10.2147/LRA.S406057. eCollection 2023.
• Background Abdelnasser A, Abdelhamid B, Elsonbaty A, Hasanin A, Rady A. Predicting successful supraclavicular brachial plexus block using pulse oximeter perfusion index. Br J Anaesth. 2017 Aug 1;119(2):276-280. doi: 10.1093/bja/aex166.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.