[Degrees of acceptance of local regional anesthetic techniques among hospital physicians]

We have evaluated the acceptance of local regional anesthetic techniques (LRA) among the physicians of our hospital by means of an anonymous questionnaire. The people addressed had to choose, as if they were hypothetical patients, the type of anesthesia (general or local regional anesthesia) in four clinical hypothetical situations: interventions on upper limb (UL), on lower limb (LL), in an emergency situation and in a scheduled situation. We obtained 109 answers: 58 from medical specialities (cardiology, gastroenterology, internal medicine, pneumology, and radiology) and 51 from surgical specialities (general surgery, gynecology, ear, nose and throat, and traumatology). Local regional anesthetic techniques were the most frequently selected (p less than 0.001) and the main reason for selection was safety. Surgeons choose LRA more frequently than medical specialists but the difference was not significant. More information on such techniques does contribute to an increase in its acceptance, a fact which is clearly reflected in the medical staff of our hospital.