Outpatient Surgery Magazine - Subscribers

A Deep Dive Into Surface Disinfection - October 2017 - Outpatient Surgery Magazine

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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with the plan. Sharing knowledge and communicating beforehand is key to making these interactions less stressful and yielding better patient results. 11. It's OK to start with your needle up against the probe. If you start with your needle up against the probe, it doesn't matter how echogenic your needle is, you won't see it. Proper needle placement is key to increasing the safety and efficacy of your blocks. Starting with your needle about the depth of your target in centimeters away from the probe lets you create an angle of entry to the skin ideal for needle visualization. Good needle visualization leads to more effective blocks and more precise catheter placement — it also helps you avoid nerve injury. 12. It's best not to isolate specific nerves. Not only is it possi- ble to isolate specific nerves for blocking — in some cases it's ideal. In our practice, we've found that sometimes isolating specific nerves cannot only be easier to perform, but can have increased benefits. For example, isolating the tibial nerve distal to the sciatic nerve split into peroneal and tibial nerves is a shallower block. This allows for ease of nerve visualization and with only blocking the tibial nerve you have the potential to provide pain control to the posterior knee while avoiding foot drop. Isolating nerves at the terminal branches of the brachial plexus is a good way to rescue a patient who may not have a complete upper extremity block in place and is still having pain in recovery. 13. I don't have to worry about patient positioning when placing blocks. Taking the time to properly position your patient before your block will make your life easier. Position your patient in 5 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7

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