[Loco-regional anesthesia in remote medical units. I. - Basis (author's transl)].

This paper is a foreword to a series of articles about anesthesia in small medical units in tropical areas. When general anesthesia must be discarded in regard to the patient's condition or the poor level of facilities, loco-regional anesthesia proves to be of great value. The authors review the main drugs available, their dosages, accidents, counter-indications and pre-anesthetic cares.