PROspective Upper Limb Trainee-Led Regional Anaesthesia Review (Pro-ULtRA)

Advances in regional anaesthesia and NHS targets for 75% of surgery to be day case has led to an increase in the use of upper limb blocks for analgesia, therefore avoiding the complications of opiates and in some cases avoiding a general anaesthetic.

There are no current guidelines on patient consent or studies looking at information that patient’s value regarding regional techniques.

The aim of this study would be to enable SWARM to look into:

  1. Current consent practice across the South West

  2. Patient reception of the information

  3. Current practice regarding sedation/GA vs awake for regional techniques

  4. Patient attitudes towards future regional anaesthesia

This would then lay the groundwork for contributing towards developing standards for consent.

Data collection has completed with preliminary results presented at the SWARM AGM

Results

Contribution to Pro-ULtRA by hopsital:

Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital: 33 patients

Derriford Hospital: 24 patients

Torbay Hospital: 19 patients

Royal Cornwall Hospital: 14 patients

Musgrove Park Hospital: 13 patients

North Devon District Hospital: 9 patients

TOTAL: 112 patients

Presentations

National

RA-UK, May 2016, Dr Ben Hearne

Regional
SWARM AGM, 11th March 2016, Dr Ben Hearne (view presentation)

SASWR, 24th-25th November 2016, Dr Ben Hearne (view poster)

Local

Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, Dr Jeremy Preece

Torbay Hospital, Dr Ben Hearne

Regional Project Lead

Dr Rebecca Pugsley, Derriford Hospital

Dr Matthew Oldman, Derriford Hospital

Dr Ben Hearne, Torbay Hospital (data analysis, manuscript preparation and presentations)

Local Trust Project Leads

Dr Tom Lawson, Derriford Hospital
Dr Sarah Cassie, Royal Cornwall Hospital
Dr David Hay, Torbay Hospital
Dr Nick Soulter, Musgrove Park Hospital
Dr Emma Shacklock, North Devon District Hospital
Dr Jeremy Preece, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital

2015