[Supraclavicular nerve and superior trunk block for surgical treatment of clavicle fracture in a patient with Steinert's disease - Case report]

Abstract

Background and objectives: Ultrasound-guided upper limb blocks may provide great benefits to patients with serious diseases. Patients with Steinert's disease have muscle weakness and risk of triggering myotony or malignant hyperthermia due to the use of anesthetic agents and surgical stress. The objective of this report was to demonstrate a viable alternative for clavicle fracture surgery with upper trunk and supraclavicular nerve block, thus reducing the spread of local anesthetic to the phrenic nerve in a patient with muscular dystrophy.

Case report: A 53-year-old male patient with Steinert's disease, associated with dyspnea, hoarseness and dysphagia, referred to the surgical theater for osteosynthesis of clavicle fracture. Upper limb (1 mL 0.75% ropivacaine) and supraclavicular nerve block (1 mL 0.75% ropivacaine in each branch) were combined with venous anesthesia with propofol under laryngeal mask (infusion pump target of 4 mcg.mL⁻¹). Upon awakening, the patient had no pain or respiratory complaints. He was transferred to the ICU for immediate postoperative follow-up with discharge from this unit after 24 h without complications.

Conclusions: The superior trunk and cervical plexus block associated with venous anesthesia under laryngeal mask, without the use of opioids, proved to be adequate in the case of a patient with clavicle fracture and Steinert's disease. With the use of ultrasonography in regional anesthesia it is possible to perform increasingly selective blocks, thus allowing greater security for the anesthetic-surgical procedure and lower morbidity for the patient.

Keywords: Clavicle; Clavícula; Complicações pós‐operatórias; Distrofia muscular; Doença de Steinert; Muscular dystrophy; Nervos periféricos; Peripheral nerves; Postoperative complications; Steinert's disease; Ultrasound; Ultrassom.