title: Regional anaesthesia for limb surgery--before or after general anaesthesia. A survey of anaesthetists in the Oxford region.
abstract: We conducted a postal survey of 221 anaesthetists in the Oxford region to determine their views and actual clinical practice regarding regional anaesthesia in adult patients undergoing limb surgery, when a combined regional and general anaesthetic was planned. Of the 162 respondents (73.3%), 142 (87.6%) regularly practised regional blocks for limb surgery in adult patients. For all the regional anaesthetic techniques in question, more anaesthetists felt it was safer to perform these blocks before induction of general anaesthesia than after induction. However, their actual practice varied markedly from their views, with more anaesthetists performing these blocks after general anaesthesia. Overall, trainees performed blocks before induction of general anaesthesia more often than consultants (p = 0.047).
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, Oxford Radcliffe Hospital, Headley Way, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK. miramasr@genie.co.uk
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kadry
authors.forename: S V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Rutter
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Popat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods*; D000776:Anesthesiology; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004739:England; D005121:Extremities / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires