Bier's block--the experience of Australian emergency departments.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the current use, effectiveness and safety of Bier's block within Australian emergency departments.


METHODS
A review of clinical practice based on an opinion survey of directors of emergency departments.


METHODS
Directors of 120 private and public hospital emergency departments.


RESULTS
A response rate of 97% was achieved. Bier's block was used in 67% of Australian emergency departments. Emergency department medical staff performed the procedure in 83% of these hospitals. It was estimated that 7500 emergency department Bier's blocks were performed each year. Ninety-six per cent of respondents found Bier's block to produce adequate regional anaesthesia. Reported complications or adverse reactions were extremely rare. A wide variation in procedural approach was evident.


CONCLUSIONS
Bier's block is a popular, reliable and relatively safe anaesthetic technique for use in emergency departments. Increased surveillance of local anaesthetic morbidity associated with the technique, as well as a standardisation of the procedure in the emergency department setting, are required.
Lowen
R
R
Emergency Department, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital.
Taylor
J
J
D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000771:Anesthesia, Intravenous / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001315:Australia; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008012:Lidocaine; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D011318:Prilocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D011318:Prilocaine; D008012:Lidocaine