Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2003 Nov-Dec;28(6):535-8.
doi: 10.1016/j.rapm.2003.09.005.

Pleural effusion and chest pain after continuous interscalene brachial plexus block

Vincent Souron  1 , Youri Reiland, Laurent Delaunay
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pleural effusion and chest pain after continuous interscalene brachial plexus block

Vincent Souron et al. Reg Anesth Pain Med. 2003 Nov-Dec.

Abstract

Objective: We describe a unique case of a patient who experienced atelectasis of the lower lobe of the left lung and pleural effusion manifested by chest pain after continuous interscalene brachial plexus block for postoperative analgesia.

Case report: A 45-year-old man with no respiratory disease was scheduled for left shoulder arthroscopy for rotator cuff repair under interscalene brachial plexus block and sedation. A continuous interscalene brachial plexus block provided postoperative analgesia. On the first postoperative day, the patient reported left-sided chest pain. The chest x-ray showed elevation of the left hemidiaphragm associated with a left lower lobe atelectasis and a minor pleural effusion. After catheter removal, clinical and radiologic signs resolved within few days without sequela.

Conclusion: If chest pain presents after interscalene brachial plexus block, early postoperative chest x-ray is recommended to rule out pneumothorax, atelectasis, and/or pleural effusion secondary to ipsilateral phrenic block.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types