Patient Satisfaction With, and Outcomes of, Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia at a Referral Hospital in Tanzania

BACKGROUND:

Regional anesthesia techniques are increasingly used in high-income countries (HICs) for both surgical anesthesia and postoperative analgesia. However, regional anesthesia has not been utilized to the same degree in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs) due to a lack of resources and trained personnel. This study evaluates patient satisfaction with, and outcomes of, ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia for extremity surgery at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in the Northeastern zone of Tanzania.

METHODS:

Study patients were ≥18 years of age; American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I, II, or III; and underwent extremity surgery under peripheral nerve block with ultrasound guidance at KCMC. After placement, blocks were assessed for effectiveness intraoperatively, as demonstrated by the need for supplemental analgesic or sedative medication or conversion to a general anesthetic. Postoperatively, patients were assessed for satisfaction with their nerve block and pain at 12 and 24 hours. Adverse events related to regional anesthesia were assessed immediately, 45 minutes after block placement, and at 12 and 24 hours postoperatively. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction at 12 hours. Secondary outcomes were block success rate and analgesia at 12 and 24 hours postoperatively.

RESULTS:

A convenience sample of 170 patients was included in the study, of whom 156 (95% confidence interval [CI], 87–95) were either satisfied or very satisfied with their block. Block placement was highly successful with only 8 of 170 participants (95% CI, 2.4–8.3), requiring conversion to a general anesthetic. Analgesia continued in the postoperative period, with 164 of 170 (95% CI, 93–98) patients and 145 of 170 (95% CI, 80–90) patients reporting acceptable analgesia at 12 and 24 hours, respectively. No major adverse events, such as local anesthetic toxicity, infection, bleeding, nerve injury, or pneumothorax, were observed.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our study found that ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia in a resource-constrained setting was effective for extremity surgery and resulted in high patient satisfaction. No complications occurred. The use of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia shows promise for the safe and effective care of patients undergoing extremity surgery in LMICs.