Assessment of lower extremity nerve block: reprise of the Four P's acronym.
OBJECTIVE
Successful performance of lower-extremity regional anesthesia includes sensory and/or motor block assessment of up to 4 major peripheral nerves. This brief report describes a methodology for the rapid evaluation of lower-extremity anesthesia before surgical incision.


METHODS
Illustrations highlight the techniques for evaluation of sciatic, obturator, lateral femoral cutaneous, and femoral nerve anesthesia. This methodology is based on a Four P's acronym: push, pull, pinch, punt.


CONCLUSIONS
Accurate assessment of lower-extremity regional anesthesia can be achieved rapidly using The Four Ps evaluation tool.
Neal
Joseph M
JM
Department of Anesthesiology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington.
D005267:Femoral Nerve; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000294:innervation*; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D009776:Obturator Nerve; D012584:Sciatic Nerve