The NerveBlock Index

Main advantages:

The NerveBlock Index can be used to assess the nerve block in the extremities within 30 seconds when the unmyelinated skin sympathetic nerves are blocked by regional anaesthesia in 100 % of the patients. Other available tools use up to 15 minutes and do not show that the nerves are blocked in all patients after 20 minutes.

The Physiology:

The skin sympathetic nerves are without myelin (a protective layer). When regional anaesthesia is given, the activity in these nerves is blocked first and the effect is assessed on the extremity of the blocked nerve.

Within seconds, the NerveBlock Index shows that the peaks per second decreases and that the rise time decreases when the nerves in the extremity are blocked by regional anaesthesia.

Reference: Gungor S, Rana B, Fields K, Bae JJ, Mount L, Buschiazzo V, Storm H. Changes in the Skin Conductance Monitor as an End Point for Sympathetic Nerve Blocks. Pain Medicine 2017; 00: 1–11.