Regional Anesthesia at The George Washington University is a core rotation for CA-2 residents and is available for CA-3 residents as an elective. It consists of a 1-month block rotation in the main operating room at The George Washington University Hospital. The rotation covers all aspects of regional anesthesia with specific emphasis on peripheral nerve blocks techniques.
The goal of the CA-2/3 Regional Anesthesia rotation is to become proficient in performing basic peripheral nerve blocks. Specifically, the resident should be able to recognize procedures in which the patient may benefit from a regional technique and ultimately become proficient at performing them. By the end of the rotation, the resident should be familiar with pertinent anatomy specific to the various blocks. The resident should know commonly used local anesthetics and understand their pharmacology. He/She should be familiar with potential resulting complications from their application and be prepared for their appropriate treatment.
The resident is expected to create a plan for the management of the peripheral nerve block; understand neural physiology and anesthetic action; be familiar with adjuvant techniques that modify duration, speed of onset, and intensity of the nerve block; study the anatomy and motor and sensory innervations of major nerves amenable to regional anesthesia; understand the proper use of nerve stimulator, ultrasound and paresthesia techniques.
Resident follow their blocks from the preoperative holding area, where blocks are often placed, to the operating suite, to the PACU where blocks are then transferred to the Acute Pain Management service.