Understanding Anesthesiology - The Global Regional Anesthesia ...

SECTION 2
Regional Anesthesia
In This Section
1. Introduction
2. Epidural Anesthesia
3. Spinal Anesthesia
4. Intravenous Regional Block
(Bier Block)
5. Brachial Plexus Block
Many different types of surgical procedures can
be performed while the nerves that supply the
surgical site are rendered insensate. This method
is called “neural blockade” or “nerve block”. Various
techniques of neural blockade comprise what
is known as regional anesthesia. During regional
anesthesia, the anesthesiologist must not only
monitor and manage the patient’s physiologic
status but he or she must ensure that the patient
remains calm and cooperative. The anesthesiologist
must be alert to the development of complications
and must also be prepared to convert to a
general anesthetic at any point in the procedure.
A complete description of the scope of regional
anesthesia is beyond the scope of this textbook. A
brief discussion of four commonly-used techniques
is presented below.
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