Ultrasound-guided brachial plexus blocks in pediatric anesthesia: non-systematic review

Background: The ultrasound guidance for regional anesthesia has gate a widespread as a recent technique to identify, visualize, and monitoring targeted nerves, needle insertion local anesthetic injection and distribution, catheters and adjacent anatomical structures, and helps to avoid complications such as inadvertent intravascular or intrafascicular injection in comparison to other traditional techniques. Purpose of review: To show and explain if any superiority has added to brachial plexus approaches with this sonography guidance for the pediatric population over other traditional techniques in terms of increasing the success rate or reducing the complications. Methods: Three authors1 independently searched the literature using MEDLINE and EMBASE bibliographic databases, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and manually in either the title or abstract, we also searched Google Scholar, Web of Science and reviewed the references of included trials for potentially relevant trials. Results: Reviewed literature suggests that ultrasound-guided peripheral blocks reduce block performance time in comparison with nerve stimulation, increase the success rate, reduced intended LA agent, and increase the quality of the block (as measured by analgesic consumption, block duration, and pain scores). Conclusion: The introduction of ultrasound imaging improved the safety profile, reduced performance time, and advanced the upper limbs block approach.