Anesthesia residents' preference for learning interscalene brachial plexus block (ISBPB): traditional Winnie's technique vs. ultrasound-guided technique.

There is a recent shift from traditional nerve stimulation (NS) to ultrasound-guided (UG) techniques in regional anesthesia (RA). This shift prompted educators to readdress the best way to teach these two modalities. Development of a more structured curriculum requires an understanding of student preferences and perceptions. To help in structuring the teaching curriculum of RA, we examined residents' preferences to the methods of instruction (NS Vs. UG techniques). Novice residents (n=12) were enrolled in this parallel crossover trial. Two groups of 6 residents received a didactic lecture on NS or UG techniques. The groups then crossed over to view the other lecture. After they observed a demo of ISBPB on two patients using NS and US. The residents completed a questionnaire regarding their impression of each technique and the learning experience. UG technique was perceived to be safer and to have more educational value than NS. However, residents felt both techniques should be mandatory in the teaching curriculum.