"To place blocks under
visualization is vastly bet-
ter," says Mr. Horowitz. It
increases the quality of the
results and decreases the
incidence of failed or less-
than-fully-effective blocks.
"This technology has been
around for a while, so con-
tact your colleagues online
and ask them, 'Which do
you like?'" he says. "Size
matters, and in this case,
smaller is better," since a
compact machine can move
easily from the block room
(another efficiency essential
for regional anesthesia) and
pre-op bays. Additionally,
the quality of the image is key. "Landmarks and nerves are small, so
you'll want higher resolution."
3. Vein-finding technology
Ultrasound also serves as one of the methods — along with infrared
light, near-infrared light, and light-emitting diodes — that vein-finding
devices have put to use in bringing visualization technology to vascu-
lar access.
Dehydration, obesity, skin pigmentation and recent chemotherapy
are just a few of the factors that can defeat the easy identification of
usable veins from a surface examination of the potential intravenous
injection site. But these devices, which employ a computerized analy-
sis of the absorption and reflection of light or energy at the site, can
7 6
O U T PAT 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 | February 2015
z MARKS THE SPOT
Ultrasound imaging tech-
nology takes the assump-
tion out of anatomy when
placing regional blocks.
Mark
e.
Hudson,
MD,
Mba
