Assessment of the Pneumatic Ischemia Technique Using the Limb Occlusion Pressure During Upper Limb Surgery.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to evaluate effective ischemia and its associated complications using the limb occlusion pressure technique versus standard pneumatic ischemia technique.

DESIGN: Single-centered randomized, controlled clinical trial.

METHODS: One hundred sixty participants were randomized into two equal and parallel groups: (1) intervention group-LOP technique, and (2) control group-standard pneumatic ischemia technique.

FINDINGS: Anesthetic incidences (need to administer analgesics for pain and/or hypnotics for anxiety) were similar in both groups. Statistically significant differences were observed for pain, hyperemia, and hospitalization, with higher values in the control group. Patients in the intervention group had, at 95% confidence, a 2.9 times greater chance of having optimal ischemia (assessed as 9 on the analog scale) than patients in the control group (odds ratio, 2.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 6.1).

CONCLUSIONS: Intervention group patients had lower indexes of hyperemia, pain, and hospital stay.