[Locoregional anesthesia]

Local anaesthetics used for regional anaesthesia inhibit impulse depolarisation through blockade of sodium channels. Regional anaesthesia accounts for 20% of all anaesthetic procedures performed in France. Spinal anaesthesia is the most common technique used peroperatively, while epidural anaesthesia is used in labouring women and for postoperative pain control. Nerve stimulation allows a safer an easier approach to peripheral blocks. Regional anaesthesia is mainly indicated for limb or eye surgery, and for mildly invasive surgical procedures. Regional anaesthetic techniques are the most efficient to control postoperative pain and to facilitate patient rehabilitation. The risk related to the practice of regional anaesthesia compares with that of general anaesthesia and is thus very low. Main complications are epidural haematoma, cardiac arrest due to inadvertent intravascular injection of local anaesthestics, and peripheral nerve damage. Regional anaesthesia requires the same technical environment and careful monitoring as general anaesthesia.