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R E G I O N A L
A N E S T H E S I A
How to Pick Patients for
Continuous
Nerve Blocks
SELECTING FACTORS Age alone is
not an exclusion criterion, but the
patient should be able to understand
and follow through on block-related
education about post-op care.
Candidate selection is a critical key
to success. Here's how to do it right.
Brian M. Ilfeld, MD, MS | San Diego, Calif.
W
ho's a candidate for continuous peripheral nerve
blocks? The real question is who isn't? Anatomy and
age are rarely limiting factors. Your anesthesia provider
can insert a perineural catheter adjacent to nearly any nerve identifiable by ultrasound. And perineural infusion isn't limited to a
specific age group. There have been reports of at-home CPNB use
in infants and patients approaching 100 years old.
J U N E 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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