CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCK

Course overview

FIRST DESCRIBED AS A METHOD OF PROVIDING SURGICAL ANESTHESIA TO THE UPPER ABDOMEN, THE CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCK (CPB) HAS BEEN UTILIZED IN PRACTICE FOR NEARLY A CENTURY. THE CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCK AIMS TO TARGET THE AFFERENT NOCICEPTIVE FIBERS AND CAN BE USED AS BOTH A DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUE AND A THERAPEUTIC TOOL FOR MANAGING INTRAABDOMINAL PAIN. THE MAJOR INDICATION FOR CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCK IS ABDOMINAL PAIN THAT IS NONRESPONSIVE TO ANALGESIC INTERVENTIONS; OFTEN THESE PATIENTS ARE NONRESPONSIVE TO HIGH-DOSE OPIOID THERAPIES. CONDITIONS IN WHICH CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCKS MAY BE USEFUL INCLUDE INTRACTABLE INTRAABDOMINAL PAIN, INCLUDING PAIN RELATED TO MALIGNANT OR BENIGN NEOPLASMS INVOLVING THE PANCREAS OR OTHER RETROPERITONEAL ORGANS, BILIARY TREE, OR OTHER ABDOMINAL ORGANS. ONE OF THE MOST COMMON INDICATIONS FOR THE CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCK IS THE TREATMENT OF ABDOMINAL PAIN ASSOCIATED WITH PANCREATIC CANCER. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE INDICATIONS, CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND TECHNIQUE INVOLVED IN PERFORMING A CELIAC PLEXUS BLOCK AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH INTRACTABLE ABDOMINAL PAIN.