Effect of Infiniti Plus Needle Guidance on Performing Ultrasound Guided Femoral Nerve Blocks

INTRODUCTION

Ultrasound guided nerve blocks have become the standard when performing regional nerve blocks in anesthesia due to improved safety and efficacy of the procedure (1).

• Infiniti Plus^™ is recently developed and has yet not been evaluated
• Hypothesis; femoral nerve blocks performed under ultrasound guidance with Infiniti Plus^™ needle guidance system will be shorter than blocks performed with ultrasound guidance only.

METHODS

Following IRB approval, 134 eligible patients were enrolled and randomized into two groups;

1. Infiniti Plus^™ needle guidance system
2. Conventional; u/s guided block without needle guidance

• Block time; will be considered to be the time elapsed from beginning the block (after prepping and draping) until catheter is successfully placed.
• All blocks performed by experienced anesthesiologist
• Statistical analysis; estimated the effect of Infiniti Plus^™ on time spent performing an ultrasound guided femoral nerve block using a multivariable linear regression model adjusting for any unbalanced baseline and demographic characteristics

RESULTS

134 patients enrolled in this trial; 67 in each group

• According to our a priori definition of imbalance;
  • Infiniti Plus ^™ group was more likely to be male
  • less likely to be white,
  • less likely to have a primary TKA,
  • More likely to have general anesthesia
• Result; listed in Table 1
• Infiniti Plus^™ significantly reduced time spent performing ultrasound guided femoral nerve blocks

CONCLUSION

Average block time in the Infiniti Plus^™ group decreased by 33%.

This difference maybe more apparent in clinicians doing this block less often or by residents since our team was very experienced and working in a large volume hospital.