Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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6 4 O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | M A R C H 2 0 1 4 ability. It lets providers watch the donut of local anesthetic encircle the nerves they're targeting, so they feel confident in knowing blocks will be fast-acting and long-lasting. Yes, there is a learning curve to incorporating ultrasound-guided blocks into everyday practice. Early research conducted at Dartmouth College showed anesthesia residents became comfortable with the technique after 60 attempts. But once you've mastered the technique, ultrasound can also improve block placement efficiencies by letting providers direct needles straight to the nerve. 4. Pump up the potential Sending patients home with pain pumps full of local anesthetic extends the pain control benefits of regional programs and lets sur- geons schedule more complex cases in outpatient facilities. Providers who use blind approaches to place catheters don't know how close the tip is to target nerves. Stimulating catheters are better options for a more targeted approach, but still not the most effective. Confirming the placement of continuous catheters with ultrasound has similar benefits to using the technology to place single-shot blocks. Block nurses can hold the ultrasound probe as providers thread catheters into place, which lets them track the tip in real-time. They can watch the catheter come out of the needle's tip and know exactly how close it is to the target nerve before pulling the needle out, injecting local anesthetic through the catheter and watching it spread around the target nerve. Ultrasound provides confidence in knowing the continuous blocks will have the desired effect. There are inherent dangers in sending patients home with pain pumps — toxicity and potential nerve damage if too much local anes- thetic is delivered to pain sites — although the risks are relatively R E G I O N A L B L O C K S Post-op pain has met its match Together, these dynamic pain management solutions can provide you with fast, accurate catheter placement with a reliable, unimpeded infusion of medication. Visit telefl ex.com/pnb to learn more. AutoFuser and AutoSelector are registered trademarks of ACE Medical Co., Ltd. Telefl ex, Arrow, FlexBlock, Hudson RCI, LMA and Rusch are trademarks or registered trademarks of Telefl ex Incorporated or its affi liates. © 2014 Telefl ex Incorporated. All rights reserved. 2013-2554 The home of Arrow ® , Hudson RCI ® , LMA ® and Rusch ® — Four distinct brands united by a common sense of purpose. Arrow ® FlexBlock ® cPNB Catheter Arrow ® AutoFuser ® Disposable Pain Pump OSE_1403_part2_Layout 1 3/5/14 10:52 AM Page 64