Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Assessment of an Ultrasound-Guided Rectus Sheath Block in Foals: A Cadaveric Study

Version 1 : Received: 6 October 2023 / Approved: 9 October 2023 / Online: 10 October 2023 (08:23:17 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Gutiérrez Bautista, Á.J.; Söbbeler, F.J.; Koch, R.; Viscasillas, J.; Kästner, S. Assessment of an Ultrasound-Guided Rectus Sheath Block in Foals: A Cadaveric Study. Animals 2023, 13, 3600. Gutiérrez Bautista, Á.J.; Söbbeler, F.J.; Koch, R.; Viscasillas, J.; Kästner, S. Assessment of an Ultrasound-Guided Rectus Sheath Block in Foals: A Cadaveric Study. Animals 2023, 13, 3600.

Abstract

In neonatal equines, pathologies involving umbilical structures are an important cause of morbidity, and surgical removal of urachal remnants is a common procedure in clinical practice. Surgery involving the ventral abdominal wall can cause substantial pain, leading to complications and prolonged recovery. The objectives of this study were to describe a two-point bilateral ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block at the level of the umbilicus and to evaluate the extent of dye distribution in foal cadavers. Ten foal cadavers were included in the study, in which a bilateral two-point ultrasound-guided rectus sheath block was performed—one injection cranially and a second one caudally to the umbilicus. The injectate consisted of a mixture of iodinated contrast medium and blue dye at a volume of 0.25 mL kg-1 per injection point (total 1 mL kg-1). After the injection, computer tomography and subsequent dissection of the ventral abdominal wall were performed. The extension of the contrast medium, the number of stained nerves, and contamination of the abdominal cavity were evaluated. The cranio-caudal extension of the contrast ranged from 0.8 to 1.4 centimeters per milliliter of injectate. The most commonly stained ventral branches of spinal nerves were thoracic (Th) nerves 16, 17, and 18 (95%, 85%, and 80% of the nerves, respectively). Abdominal contamination was found in 4 animals. The results suggest that the block could provide periumbilical analgesia. Further studies with different volumes of injectate and living animals are warranted.

Keywords

rectus sheath block; foal; ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia; spinal nerves; umbilical surgery

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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