J Korean Pain Soc.  1990 Jun;3(1):27-33.

Blood Pressure, Pulse Rate and Temperature Changes of the Ipsilateral Upper Extremity after Unilateral Stellate Ganglion Block

• Goh JS
• Min BW
• Kim HD

Abstract

In the past decades there has been a growth of interest in the use of stellate ganglion block (SGB) as part of the diagnosis and therapy for the disease of the head, neck and upper extremities. For the evaluation of changes in hemodynamics and temperature of the affected extremity after the SGB, unilateral SGB (either right or left) was performed by local injection of 10 ml of 1% lidocaine without epinephrine in 45 patients (right side SGB: 25, left side SGB: 20) with various diseases. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse rate and skin temperature of the ipsilateral hand were studied before and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes after the block. The results were as follows: 1) Changes of blood pressure: Systolic and distolic blood pressure after either right or left side SGB showed no statistically signficant change. 2) Changes of pulse rate: While the left side SGB showed a mild decrease without statistical significance, the right side SGB showed a statistically significant decrease at 30 and 60 minutes after the block (p<0.05). 3) Changes of skin temperature of the blocked hand: Either side SGB produced a gradual increase in temperature with time and showed statistical significance from 10 minutes in the left side block (p<0.01), and a from 10 minutes after the block in the right side (p<0.01). Both sides SGB showed a maximal increase at 30 minutes after the block and a small decrease at 60 minutes after the block compared to the 30 minutes value. 4) Despite the successful SGB. 4 of 45 patients failed to produce a significant increase in skin temperature on the affected upper extremity. In conclusion, unilateral SGB with 1% lidocaine at the 6th cervical vertebral level is a safe method for use on an outpatient basis, and an increase in skin temperature in the affected upper extremity is necessary to confirm the successful therapeutic effect on disease of the upper extremity.

MeSH Terms

Blood Pressure*
Diagnosis
Epinephrine
Extremities
Hand
Head
Heart Rate*
Hemodynamics
Humans
Lidocaine
Neck
Outpatients
Skin Temperature
Stellate Ganglion*
Upper Extremity*
Epinephrine
Lidocaine