Summary of recommendations on regional anesthesia and interventional pain procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

With the global peak of COVID-19 cases earlier this year, hospitals worldwide found themselves adopting specific policies pertinent to this pandemic. These policies include regulating the use of regional anesthesia in the operating room. Regional anesthesia is preferred over general anesthesia, as it carries a smaller risk of transmission to health care workers because it is not an aerosol-generating procedure. In addition, policies regarding interventional pain procedures have also been published. These procedures have been stratified based on urgency, with special considerations pertaining to both patient population and the medications used. This article aims to provide a summary of recommendations on both regional anesthesia and interventional pain procedures amidst COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on how to proceed with patients in whom the infection is suspected or confirmed. © 2020, American University of Beirut. All rights reserved.