Dr. Steven Orebaugh’s latest publication, “Adverse Outcomes Associated With Stimulator-Based Peripheral Nerve Blocks With Versus Without Ultrasound Visualization,” can be found in the current issue of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. This study was a retrospective look at complications related to peripheral nerve blockades performed at UPMC over a two-year period. Dr. Orebaugh described the results of this study, “We found that, for upper extremity blocks, there was a significant reduction in the frequency of seizures (a manifestation of local anesthetic toxicity) when ultrasound guidance was used. We believe this provides evidence that, for an academic teaching practice that frequently provides nerve blocks, ultrasound guidance provides an element of improved safety by reducing the frequency of local anesthetic toxicity.”  Anesthesiology faculty Drs. Brian Williams, Manuel Vallejo, and Michael Kentor were co-authors on the publication. The abstract can be found here