CEACCP: Sympathetic blocks (Read) for Nurses

Permission has been granted by Elsevier on behalf of the British Journal of Anaesthesia to link directly to articles and MCQs from BJA Education on e-Learning Anaesthesia.

Key points

• The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) has a role in vascular, visceral, and neuropathic pain (NeP).
• A block of sympathetic ganglia can offer pain relief in sympathetically mediated pain.
• NeP is often multi-factorial and is not completely abolished by sympatholysis.
• Sympatholysis may be performed with local anaesthetics, neurolytics, neuroablative techniques such as radiofrequency lesioning, or with drugs such as guanethidine (i.v. regional techniques).
• There is no consensus about the optimum technique, interval between blocks, and duration of treatment.