Impediments to the use of ankle block in Australia.
Anaesthetic trainees and consultants who enrolled in a regional anaesthetic workshop completed a questionnaire regarding their own ankle block practice. The questionnaire focused on frequency of use, barriers to use, technique and perceived success rate. One hundred and twelve respondents participated, with 73% performing less than 10 ankle blocks per year. Forty-eight per cent believed that they did not have an appropriate operating list or a suitable patient, whilst 27% believed time constraints were the major barrier. Of those performing less than 10 ankle blocks peryear, 22% cited lack of anatomical knowledge or technique as their major barrier and 71% perceived their success rate as medium to low. Eighty per cent performed their ankle block with the patient fully awake or sedated. Sixty-five per cent did not know the length of action of their ankle block. This survey supports recent suggestions that the practice of ankle block is under-utilized. Teaching workshops and clinical training for peripheral nerve blocks should receive high priority for the future.
Rudkin
G E
GE
Specialist Anaesthetic Services, Adelaide, South Australia.
Micallef
T A
TA
D000842:Ankle; D001315:Australia; D003625:Data Collection; D005528:Foot / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*