• Thomas Volk and Christine Kubulus.
• Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 2020 Jul 1; 55 (7-08): 486-492.

AbstractThe true incidence of infectious complications related to regional anaesthesia and analgesia is not known but like any invasive procedure is has the potential for severe sequelae. This article gives an overview on hygiene requirements based on the S1-guideline "Hygiene recommendations on regional anaesthesia", current recommendations of the Robert Koch-Institute and current scientific insights. Basic hygienic standards (removal of jewellery, accurate hand disinfection, clean environment) are to be applied. A face mask to cover nose and mouth, a surgical hair cap and sterile gloves are essential parts of any block. For catheter placements a sterile gown with long arms is recommended and also a sterile cover for the ultrasound probe (including the cable when catheters are placed). Skin disinfectant should be alcohol-based and contain a remanent ingredient (chlorhexidine or octenidine). Catheter tunneling may be protective when thoracic epidural catheters are used. When patient related factors (diabetes, obesity, immune suppression) and procedural factors (intended catheter use > 4 days, catheter site) are carefully weighed, an antibiotic prophylaxis may be taken into consideration.Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

7 keywords...

hide…