weapons in the intensifying battle against opioid overuse, say several
panelists.
"Anesthesia providers are being tasked with utilizing all techniques
that will lessen the use of opioids, both in the delivery of anesthesia
and for post-op care," says Garalynn Tomas, DNAP(c), MEd, CRNA,
from North Ridgeville, Ohio. "Regional blocks serve that purpose."
"It's the foundation of any multimodal anesthesia program," adds
Miami CRNA Ricardo deSouza. "Above all, the incidence of chronic
pain, which we're just beginning to understand and which can devel-
op even with simple surgical procedures, is drastically reduced with
peripheral nerve blocks."
Granted, a consistent, efficient regional block program takes edu-
cation and effort to set up, but it's "imperative that facilities work
with their anesthesia providers to provide nursing staff necessary
equipment like ultrasound and flexible scheduling of cases to facili-
tate a successful program," says Dr. Tomas.
4. Supraglottic airway devices
As another tool that can help both patients and providers breathe eas-
ier when unanticipated difficult airways rear their ugly heads, "supra-
glottic devices can often convert a patient from a can't-intubate, can't-
ventilate crisis to a can't-intubate, but can ventilate scenario that's less
life threatening," says Brent Dunworth, DNP, MBA, CRNA, director of
advanced practice at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in
Nashville, Tenn. "Their availability is critical to any anesthesia prac-
tice."
"They're an extremely important part of the (American Society of
Anesesthesia's) Difficult Airway Algorithm," adds Anthony L. Kovac,
MD, of the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.
"They're also relatively easy to use and have a high success rate."
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