Regional anesthesia for acute traumatic injuries in the emergency room

Since the introduction of cocaine in 1884, regional nerve block procedures have been used in anesthesia practice for over 100 years. While almost all medical specialties use simple regional anesthesia techniques, anesthesia providers use a wider variety of more specific nerve block techniques than any other speciality. Anesthesiologists have assumed a vital role in recent military conflicts and, together with surgeons and emergency physicians, have introduced regional anesthesia techniques for the treatment and transport of injured soldiers. While such techniques have only been applied to a limited extent in civilian emergency settings, it is likely that current military experience will enhance future use of regional anesthesia techniques for the care of trauma patients in the civilian prehospital and emergency room settings.