Abstract
Recently, there has been growing enthusiasm regarding the use of ultrasound in the field of peripheral nerve block. Peripheral nerve block has been recognized to improve patient satisfaction, reduce perioperative complications and facilitate patient recovery. However, because of its high failure rate, possible complications and technical difficulties, peripheral nerve block was not popular among anesthesiologists in the past. Conventional peripheral nerve block relies mainly on surface anatomic landmarks and electrical stimulation to localize nerves. Invisibility of the needle and local anesthetic accounts for the shortcomings of conventional peripheral nerve block. Ultrasound guidance enables anesthesiologists to localize nerves, secure an accurate needle placement and monitor the distribution of the local anesthetic in real time. The advantages over conventional guidance techniques, such as surface landmark, nerve stimulation and loss-of-resistance procedures, are significant. This article reviews the advantages, basic principles and practices of ultrasound-guided peripheral anesthesia.
