Pectoralis blocks for insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in two patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
PMID 29628849 | PMCID PMC5875227 | DOI 10.4103/sja.SJA_624_17 · Saudi journal of anaesthesia · 2018
Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) often have systemic manifestations with comorbid involvement of the cardiac and respiratory systems that increase the risk of anesthetic and perioperative morbidity. These patients frequently develop progressive myocardial involvement with cardiomyopathy, depressed cardiac function, and arrhythmias. The latter may necessitate the placement of an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator (AICD) insertion. As a means of avoiding the need for general anesthesia and its inherent potential of morbidity, regional anesthesia may be used in specific cases. We present two cases of successful AICD insertion in patients with DMD using unilateral pectoralis and intercostal nerve blocks supplemented with intravenous sedation. Relevant anatomy for this regional anesthetic technique is reviewed and benefits of this anesthetic technique compared to general anesthesia are discussed.
Validated evidence
| Type | Entity | Source evidence | Confidence | Extractor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| phenotype | Duchenne muscular dystrophy | “Pectoralis blocks for insertion of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator in two patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.” | 0.98 | phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2 |
| phenotype | cardiomyopathy | “These patients frequently develop progressive myocardial involvement with cardiomyopathy, depressed cardiac function, and arrhythmias.” | 0.98 | phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2 |
| phenotype | arrhythmia | “These patients frequently develop progressive myocardial involvement with cardiomyopathy, depressed cardiac function, and arrhythmias.” | 0.93 | phenotype_alias_lexicon_v2 |