INTRODUCTION: Regional anesthesia offers important advantages over general anesthesia, including improved analgesia, fewer perioperative complications, and enhanced operating room (OR) efficiency. However, evidence on the implementation and impact of regional anesthesia block rooms (BRs) in low-resource settings remains limited. This study evaluated the effect of establishing a BR on perioperative efficiency at a tertiary teaching hospital in Rwanda.
METHODS: This quality improvement study employed a pre–post implementation design guided by the Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) framework and reported in accordance with SQUIRE 2.0 guidelines. Conducted at Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali between May and October 2023, the study compared perioperative time metrics before and after BR implementation. Outcomes included peripheral nerve block (PNB) duration, time from PNB completion to incision, surgical duration, and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential tests, with significance set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS: A total of 46 patients were included (20 pre-implementation, 26 post-implementation), with comparable baseline characteristics across groups. The introduction of the BR was associated with a significant increase in surgical time (88.4 ± 77.9 vs. 101.5 ± 37.3 minutes; p < 0.05), corresponding to a mean gain of 13.1 minutes per case. No significant differences were observed in PNB duration, PNB-to-incision time, or PACU length of stay. No complications related to regional anesthesia were reported.
CONCLUSION: The implementation of a BR in a resource-limited setting is feasible and improves OR efficiency without compromising patient safety. Scaling such interventions requires investment in workforce capacity, structured training, and improved perioperative coordination.
