title: Do ultrasound-guided regional blocks signify a new paradigm in high-risk patients?
abstract: It has been suggested for many years that regional anaesthesia is advantageous in high-risk patients, either as the sole anaesthetic or in combination with general anaesthesia. Regional techniques are safe and even more so when guided by ultrasound. In the high-risk patient population, ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia (UGRA) can help decrease risk of perioperative morbidity and improve short-term as well as long-term outcomes, particularly in the orthopaedic, vascular, oncologic and chronic pain patient populations. Nevertheless, complications do still occur and benefits of a specific regional nerve blockade need to be weighed against potential risks on an individual basis. The emergence of reasonably priced, easy-to-use ultrasound machines facilitates regional anaesthesia, and this kind of anaesthesia may become the standard of care in high-risk patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. Electronic address: tfb@dadlnet.dk.
authors.forename: Thomas F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Bendtsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haskins
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens Aage
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kølsen Petersen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, Zealand University Hospital, Copenhagen University, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Børglum
mesh_terms: D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000592:standards; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: high-risk patients; regional anaesthesia; ultrasound