An audit of peripheral nerve blocks for hand surgery.

A prospective audit of 140 median, radial and ulnar blocks, given for 70 hand operations is described. The surgery was completed successfully in every patient. A further injection of local anaesthetic was required in 13 operations. Four patients experienced severe tourniquet pain. The results of the audit have shown that if a careful technique is used, a wide range of minor hand operations can be performed under regional nerve block.