Techniques in Local Anaesthesia (Sheffield)

This hands-on one-day workshop is designed to give you practical experience in performing commonly used local and regional anaesthetic techniques with confidence and precision. You will explore the theory behind local anaesthetic drug choice and dosing, understand the indications and contraindications for different blocks, and practise key procedures in a supported clinical context.

The course covers a wide variety of peripheral nerve blocks relevant to orthopaedic, soft tissue and dental surgery, introducing anatomical landmarks and practical methods to achieve effective analgesia. Teaching also includes discussion of additional techniques such as wound catheters, chest drain analgesia, topical approaches and intravenous regional anaesthesia, alongside considerations for lumbosacral epidurals. Case-based discussion helps you apply these techniques within real-world scenarios and reinforce clinical decision-making.

Topics to be covered include:

• Principles and benefits of local anaesthesia within a multimodal analgesia strategy
• Pharmacology of local anaesthetic agents, including dosing and potential complications
• Peripheral nerve blocks for orthopaedic, soft tissue and dental procedures
• Dental, retrobulbar and ear blocks
• Intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA), digital blocks, intercostal and ring blocks
• Landmark-based brachial plexus, femoral and sciatic nerve blocks
• Lumbosacral epidural blocks: technique and indications
• Adjunct techniques: wound catheters, chest drain analgesia and topical methods
• Case-based problem solving and clinical application