Impediments to the use of ankle block in Australia

Anaesthetic trainees and consultants who enrolled in a regional anaesthetic workshop completed a questionnaire regarding their own ankle block practice. The questionnaire focused on frequency of use, barriers to use, technique and perceived success rate. One hundred and twelve respondents participated, with 73% performing less than 10 ankle blocks per year. Forty-eight per cent believed that they did not have an appropriate operating list or a suitable patient, whilst 27% believed time constraints were the major barrier. Of those performing less than 10 ankle blocks peryear, 22% cited lack of anatomical knowledge or technique as their major barrier and 71% perceived their success rate as medium to low. Eighty per cent performed their ankle block with the patient fully awake or sedated. Sixty-five per cent did not know the length of action of their ankle block. This survey supports recent suggestions that the practice of ankle block is under-utilized. Teaching workshops and clinical training for peripheral nerve blocks should receive high priority for the future.