The practice of regional anesthesia in Belgium – a national survey

Background : National surveys are useful to assess the state of regional anaesthesia (RA) practice in a particular country. Given that such information was lacking in Belgium, we conducted a survey to evaluate the Belgian practice of peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) with a particular focus on its safety aspects. Methods : A survey was sent by email to 1510 Belgian anesthesiologists. No identifying information was collected. Data were collected between September 2019 and October 2019. Results : We collected 324 questionnaires (response rate 21%). Eighty five percent of respondents perform regularly PNB. 99% place a venous access before performing a block, and more than 90% monitor patients with minimum peripheral pulse oximetry. The majority monitor patients for a minimum of 30 minutes after the injection of local anesthetic (LA). Ultrasound-guided technique for RA is used by 89% of respondents. Neurostimulation is totally abandoned by 20% of them. Monitoring of injection pressures is performed by 21% of respondents. More than 50% of respondents use sterile gloves, surgical drapes and a mask. With regards to the solution of LA used, 52% of respondents never mix LAs. An adjuvant is always used by 15% of the respondents while 10% of them never use them. Conclusions : This survey suggests that the practice of PNBs in Belgium is in line with the current international guidelines. This survey can serve as a benchmark for future evaluation and comparison between RA techniques. These observations should be taken into account for the implementation of national guidelines and therefore for the improvement of safety in the practice of PNBs.