Aspects of the pharmacology of local anaesthetic agents.

The use of local anaesthetic techniques varies with the anaesthetist's working conditions, direction of interest, and hence geographically. Thus they are mainly used in certain centres in America and Canada, and in the Scandinavian countries. Interest in, and use of, local anaesthesia has increased during the last decade. There are many reasons for this. The use of these techniques enables the anaesthetist to rationalize his working day, enables him to adjust the extent of the anaesthesia to the type of operation planned, to the individual patient, and to the auxiliary personnel at his disposal. The purely technical performance of the block gives him a satisfaction, all the more apparent when he can use his skill in the performance of therapeutic blocks.