Pain Treatment Center of Wyoming, LLC

903A South Greeley Highway, Cheyenne, WY  82007
307-633-8100  Fax: 307-633-8108 

BRETYLIUM BIER BLOCK

PATIENT INSTRUCTIONAL HANDOUT

Your doctor has recommended that you have a Bretylium Bier Block.  Please feel free to call us at 307-633-8190, should you have any questions or concerns.

Please have someone who can drive you home on the day of your block.  Relaxation medication may be given before your block which can make some people sleepy afterwards.  Also, some people experience soreness and/or discomfort making it difficult to drive home.

The day of your block you can expect the following:

  1. You will be asked to sign a consent form which explains the block as well as the potential risks and the benefits.
     
  2. The nurse will start an IV in your arm to be used to give relaxation medications.  Another IV will be placed in the affected limb to give the block medication.
     
  3. You will be connected to a heart monitor, automatic blood pressure cuff and a pulse oximetry finger probe which measures the oxygen in your blood.  These monitors help the staff to assess your condition at all times.
     
  4. After you have signed your consent form and have been connected to all the monitors, you can receive relaxation medication.
     
  5. A tourniquet will be placed on your affected limb.  Next, a large elastic band will be wrapped all the way up and around the limb (to push out the blood), the tourniquet will be inflated and the band released.
     
  6. Local anesthetics and Bretylium will be injected through the IV in the affected limb once the tourniquet has been inflated.  These medications reach your nerve endings and help to stop
    your pain.
     
  7. The tourniquet will remain inflated for 30 minutes and may cause some discomfort.
     
  8. After the tourniquet has been deflated, the nurse will continue to monitor you for another
    30 minutes to assure that you have no adverse reaction to the medications.
     
  9. Once the monitoring period is completed, your IV will be taken out and you may go home.
     
  10. A member of the staff will call you two or three days after your block to see how you are feeling.  Please feel free to call before that if you have any questions or concerns.

 

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