OP34 Chronometry – a different point of view for the benefits of ultrasound-guided popliteal nerve block in pediatrics

<h3>Background and Aims</h3> Regarding all the benefits of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia such as the opioid sparing effect, the safe profile, the long term analgesia and the patient comfort, we would like to also emphasize on one more positive feature, which might be underestimated and distant from medical point of view, but in fact it has a significant role in the overall anesthesia management and work organization in the operating room and this feature is chronometry. In this work we would like to compare the time for performing general anesthesia and ultrasound-guided popliteal nerve block in pediatric patients in order to analyze the time consumption in both process. <h3>Methods</h3> We observed total of 108 children with ankle fractures, estimated ASA I, between 7 y and 17 y, scheduled for surgery. We divided them into 2 groups - RA group, including 35 children - and GA group, including 73 children. Both groups underwent standard monitoring in operating room and received intravenous line for no more than 5 min after entering the OR. The RA group underwent ultrasound-guided popliteal nerve block and the GA group received TIVA with propofol and fentanyl analgesia, after general anesthesia induction and placement of laryngeal mask. <h3>Results</h3> Chronometry analysis of total time, required for GA and RA revealed that pediatric patients, who received ultrasound-guided popliteal nerve block had 1. Three times shorter stay in the operating room after the end of surgical treatment (4 min vs 12 min); 2. Two times faster transfer from the recovery room to the intensive care unit (6 min vs 10 min); 3. Overall more than 1/3 shorter stay in the operating room from the point of view of anesthesia (22.8857 min vs 34.9041 min); <h3>Conclusions</h3> This study proved that USG popliteal nerve block spares time, therefore - money and human resources - compared to GA as a much faster and less time consuming procedure.