[Recommendations on Hygiene in Regional Anaesthesia]

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Medical Procedure Safety

Background:

• Infectious complications from regional anesthesia and analgesia can have severe consequences, though their true incidence is unknown.
• Adherence to established hygiene guidelines is essential for patient safety during invasive procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide an overview of current hygiene requirements for regional anesthesia and analgesia.
• To integrate recommendations from the S1-guideline, Robert Koch-Institute, and recent scientific findings.

Main Methods:

• Review of S1-guideline 'Hygiene recommendations on regional anaesthesia'.
• Incorporation of current Robert Koch-Institute guidelines.
• Synthesis of current scientific insights on infection control.

Main Results:

• Basic hygiene includes removing jewelry, thorough hand disinfection, and maintaining a clean environment.
• Essential personal protective equipment includes face masks, surgical caps, and sterile gloves for all blocks.
• For catheter placements, sterile gowns, sterile ultrasound probe covers, and alcohol-based skin disinfectants with residual activity (chlorhexidine or octenidine) are recommended.

Conclusions:

• Catheter tunneling may reduce infection risk for thoracic epidural catheters.
• Antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered based on patient-specific factors (e.g., diabetes, immunosuppression) and procedural details (e.g., catheter dwell time >4 days).
• Strict adherence to comprehensive hygiene protocols is paramount for safe regional anesthesia and analgesia practices.