‘Assessment of ultrasound guided peripheral nerve block practice adherence, cross-sectional study’

Background: Peripheral nerve block is a common way of providing anesthesia and analgesia to the intended area of innervation by a single or plexus supply of nerves by a local anesthetic drug in different ways. The aim of this study was to enhance the practice of ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve anesthesia and analgesia in our operation theater accordance with standards. Method: This study was cross-sectional descriptive study carried out in a comprehensive specialized hospital in Ethiopia between 1 March 2023 and 30 March 2023. Patients who receive ultra-sounded guided anesthesia and analgesia in surgical and obstetric operation rooms were included. Data were collected by direct observation using a standardized checklist prepared from the recommendations of the New York Society of Regional Anesthesia (NYSORA) and literature. The data were collected prospectively before, during, and after administering ultra-sound-guided regional anesthesia or analgesia. The data was analyzed using SPSS 25. Result: The overall adherence to the safe and effective practice of using ultrasound for regional block use was 88.1%, with assessment of parameters such as optimizing sonoanatomy of visualization (98.7%), optimizing needle imaging with ultrasound (76.8%), safe needle guidance with ultrasound practice (76.8%), optimizing the delivery of local anesthetic near the target nerve (100%), and sensory block was (75%) before skin incision, (60%) before PACU transfer, immediately motor block after local anesthesia administration (52.5%) before skin incision and 2.5% immediate PACU transfer. Conclusion and recommendation: Ultrasound-guided regional anesthetic has been demonstrated to be helpful in managing pain during and after surgery. Although utilizing ultrasound in conjunction with nerve blocks has been shown to be safe, the authors advise using a peripheral nerve stimulator combination with ultrasound. Hydro-dissection is a more effective way to block a nerve block and provide the greatest anatomical delineation.