Emergency Medicine (Advanced)
2 days
Nerve Block Ultrasound Course (Emergency)
(Peripheral Nerves, Truncal Nerves)
ACEM, ACRRM, RACGP
Course highlights
- Revise anatomy and innervation of peripheral and axial nerves;
- Review requirements for safe practice;
- Practice finding the appropriate nerve/space/or plane on a variety of live models;
- Hone your needle tip visualisation and fine motor skills on purpose built phantoms;
- Discuss the utility of each block within common case scenarios.
Course Dates
Description
This nerve block course is led by an Emergency Physician. For nerve blocks led by an Anaesthetist, please click here.
Regional anaesthesia compliments and expands the multimodal analgesia techniques available to Emergency Physicians, providing a safe alternative to procedural sedation to facilitate painful procedures, and avoid opioid analgesia for acute / chronic pain management in high risk individuals.
This course allows you to further develop your skills in point of care ultrasound by learning the pearls and pitfalls, techniques, risks and limitations of a wide variety of blocks from the head to the foot. Our faculty use an array of nerve block techniques in their clinical practice and can discuss the utility of these blocks.
By the end of the course you will have acquired an understanding of how to perform a range of blocks to assist you in managing the following common emergency presentations:
- Provide anaesthesia to facilitate reductions of distal radius fractures, shoulder, elbow and ankle dislocations.
- Provide long acting opioid sparing analgesia for rib and hip fractures.
- Provide analgesia / anaesthesia to facilitate central line and pleural drain placement, incision and drainage of abscesses, foreign body removal, and complex laceration exploration / repair.
In this two-day nerve block course, identify and discuss sites, distribution and application of a range of peripheral and truncal blocks.
Day 1:
- Block Basics
- Upper limb blocks (suprascapular, axillary, elbow and wrist)
- Lower limb blocks (PENG, fascia iliaca, femoral nerve, saphenous nerve, popliteal sciatic nerve, posterior tibial nerve and ankle blocks)
- Orofacial blocks
- Case based discussion
Day 2:
Identify and discuss sites, distribution and application of:
- Axial blocks (superficial cervical plexus, interscalene and supraclavicular blocks)
- Thoracic blocks (serratus anterior and erector spinae blocks)
- Truncal blocks (Transversus abdominis plane [TAP] and rectus sheath blocks)
- Case based discussion
Who should attend?
- Emergency Physician
- Junior House Officer
- Nurse
- Nurse Practitioner
- Paediatrician
- Palliative Medicine Physician
- Paramedic
- Retrieval Medicine Physician
- Rural Generalist
- Senior House Officer
Objectives
The objectives of this nerve block course are:
- Perform in-plane needle techniques on purpose built phantoms;
- Describe the indications, risks and benefits of peripheral versus axial versus plane blocks;
- Demonstrate ability to identify the anatomy of the common blocks and recognise the pertinent anatomical and pharmacological risks;
- Demonstrate patient and machine optimisation techniques for different tasks;
- Explain the pre-requisites and requirements for safe regional anaesthesia;
- Recognise and discuss alternative methods of analgesia for common tasks and propose the most appropriate.
Prerequisites
The prior ultrasound experience assumed for this course is highlighted below.
| None/Minimal | Don’t use ultrasound |
| Limited | Use ultrasound weekly/monthly |
| Moderate/Experienced | Use ultrasound daily/weekly |
Accreditation
ACEM
ACEMCourse 009 is approved for 15 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours as complying with ACEM standards and policies.
ACRRM
ACRRMThis course is approved for 16 total activity hours. PDP units: 1 Performance Review, 6 Performance Review, 9 Educational Activity. MOPS points: 14. Grant eligibility: Emergency Medicine, Anaesthetics, Obstetrics, Surgery.
RACGP
RACGPCPD Approved Activity under RACGP 2023-25 CPD program. Approved for Educational Activities 3.5 hours, Reviewing Performance 11.5 hours, specific requirements diagnostic radiology, 2 days Anaesthetics, Obstetrics, Surgery and Emergency Medicine training grants. Provider Number 214288, Activity ID 414885.
HOURS
| Theoretical | 6.25 |
| Practical | 6.75 |
| Total | 13 |
CATERING
Morning tea, a light lunch and refreshments are provided each day.