Specific nerve blocks: an update.
Recently there has been a considerable increase in interest in regional anesthesia and neural blockade. Many traditional nerve block techniques have been significantly modified to better fit the realm of both inpatient and outpatient surgery. The introduction of long acting local anesthetics with better safety profile as well as better equipment for continuous neuronal blockade has further increased the utility of peripheral nerve blocks. A significant effort has also been invested in studying and improving the safety of various techniques. These developments, coupled with an increased emphasis on teaching of regional blocks by organized anesthesia societies are likely to result in a wider use of these techniques in years to come.
Karaca
P
P
St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York 10025, USA.
Hadzić
A
A
Vloka
J D
JD