PHENOL NERVE BLOCK

Course overview

IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1926 THAT THE USE OF PHENOL AS A NEUROLYTIC AGENT WAS DESCRIBED BY DOPPLER ET AL., FOLLOWED BY A DESCRIPTION OF INTRATHECAL INJECTION OF PHENOL IN 1955. IN 1959, NATHAN ET AL. AND KELLY ET AL. DESCRIBED THE EARLIEST USE OF PHENOL FOR SPASTICITY AND REPORTED RELIEF FOLLOWING INTRATHECAL INJECTIONS. PHENOL IS A CHEMICAL COMPOSITE AGENT THAT IS COMPRISED OF CARBOLIC ACID, PHENIC ACID, PHENYLIC ACID, PHENYL HYDROXIDE, HYDROXYBENZENE, AND OXYBENZONE. IT DENATURES PROTEIN READILY AND MAY CAUSE DENERVATION WHEN INJECTED NEAR NEURAL STRUCTURES, LEADING TO LOSS OF CELLULAR FATTY CONTENT, SEPARATION OF THE MYELIN SHEATH FROM THE AXON, AND AXONAL EDEMA. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ROLE OF PHENOL TO DENERVATE NERVES, ITS INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PAIN.