Regional Anesthesia in Intensive Care: An Overview in Tunisia

Abstract

Regional anesthesia (RA) is increasingly used in intensive care in Tunisia, but challenges persist to ensure optimal practice. We conducted a multicenter study involving post-operative and polyvalent intensive care units, both private and public. Resident physicians(44.7%) are sensitized to quality of care, but gaps remain. Attending physicians (63.3%) often report the absence of pain management committees (PMCs) and written protocols for RA. The majority express a need for continuous training, particularly on RA. High-fidelity simulation is the preferred format for learning. RA is commonly used in intensive care (97.2%), mainly epidural (76.4%) and femoral nerve blocks (54.9%). Ultrasound is widely preferred for guiding procedures (77.5%). The main areas of RA application are thoracic (94.4%) and limb trauma (64.8%). The ANI is the preferred pain monitoring tool (49.3%). Improving training and infrastructure is necessary for optimal RA practice in intensive care in Tunisia.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Funding Statement

This study did not receive any funding

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I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

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Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

Data Availability

All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors

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