Ultrasounds for regional anesthesia

Regional anesthesia is living a new era due to the introduction of ultrasounds for regional blocks: several anesthesia procedures with inherent risks of complications have greatly improved in the last years thanks to techniques concerning the "visibility" of the procedures. Ultrasound guided blocks are an important advance in quality, effectiveness and, perhaps, safety when performing peripheral blocks. Some of the blocks considered quite difficult to perform with the electroneurostimulator only are in fact made easier by the ultrasounds technique (see for example the interscalene block or the sopraclavicular block). Having a progressive and careful learning curve is mandatory as reports of complications are rising in the literature. (C) 2008 European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.