debunking these 20 common myths and misconceptions will help.
1. I need a dedicated block room. So very often we hear, "We
don't have space for a block room." No worries. You can turn you pre-
op or PACU bay (private or not) into a safe area to perform blocks.
All you need are trained nurses, custom block trays, standard vital
sign monitors and extra Mayo stands.
2. We'll have to stock so many needles. If you have to choose
just one, stock 4-inch needles. This length needle is not only the most
versatile in regards to what procedures you can use it for (we think
almost all of them!), but it also is the length that, for most blocks, lets
you begin your insertion site 3-4 cm away from the ultrasound probe.
This lets your needle come under the transducer at a nice perpendicu-
lar angle, giving you excellent visualization for a safe and highly effec-
tive block.
3. I have to keep my ultrasound probe sterile. Single-shot
blocks are not sterile procedures. Save your money on probe covers
and wear and tear on your transducer by not applying Tegaderm dress-
ing on the probe. Although the single-shot block is a clean procedure,
sterility in regards to the ultrasound probe and gloves is unnecessary.
Clean your equipment between uses and clean the surface area for the
block beforehand. And as always, just like an IV start, your single-shot
needle must remain sterile until insertion time after a chlohexidine
prep of the insertion site.
4. Of course my patients will know what a block is. You'll
schedule your patients for a block and educate them beforehand — and
still they'll show up for surgery having no idea what you are talking
5 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7
