Regional Technique Provides Complete Surgical Anesthesia for Above-the-Knee Amputation: A Viable Alternative to General Endotracheal Anesthesia in a Time of COVID-19

Abstract

In the initial phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, laboratory test shortages made it impossible to definitively identify patients with active COVID-19 infection or asymptomatic carriers. Without diagnostic certainty, it was imperative to proceed with caution when performing aerosol-generating procedures; this meant that anesthesiologists needed to make conscious decisions to avoid airway manipulation for procedures when it was not completely necessary. This case report describes a regional anesthetic technique that was used as the primary anesthetic for an urgent above-the-knee amputation in a patient with a history of respiratory issue of unknown etiology.