The following is a summary of “Objective Evaluation of Stellate Ganglion Block Effects Using Ultrasound Wave Intensity Technology: A Study on Hemodynamics,” published in the June 2024 issue of Pain by Gan et al.
While Horner’s syndrome reveals facial changes, it might not fully capture blood flow changes caused by stellate ganglion block (SGB).
Researchers conducted a retrospective study using ultrasound wave intensity analysis (usWIA) to assess how SGB affects the elasticity and flow velocity of the common carotid artery (CCA) and brachial artery. They focused on patients monitored for SGB’s effects on specific organs or regions.
They involved 33 patients, out of which 31 (15 were males and 16 were females) from September 2020 to January 2022 following screening for SGB treatment. The side of SGB administration depended on the patient’s pain location, with 13 cases receiving left stellate ganglion block (LSGB) and 18 instances receiving right stellate ganglion block (RSGB). Wave intensity (WI) measurements were taken using usWIA on the CCA and brachial artery before SGB and after Horner’s syndrome onset. Changes in these measurements pre- and post-SGB were analyzed using SPSS 26.0.
The results showed an increase in arterial compliance (AC) of the CCA and brachial artery on the blocked side after SGB (P<0.05). In contrast, pressure-strain elastic modulus (EP) and arterial stiffness pulse wave velocity (PWVβ) decreased significantly (for all P<0.05). Additionally, the minimum velocity (Vmin) of the CCA exhibited a significant increase (P<0.01), while WI pulse wave velocity (PWVwi) was notably reduced (P<0.01). Conversely, on the contralateral side of the CCA, EP, and PWVβ increased after SGB (for all P<0.05), whereas AC decreased (P<0.05).
Investigators found that SGB improved elasticity and blood flow in targeted arteries, with usWIA emerging as a useful tool for measuring these changes. However, SGB on one side decreased elasticity in the artery on the other.
Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2147/JPR.S451952
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