This single-source reference addresses complications related to the practice of regional anesthesia and pain medicine. Chapters are written by a world authority on each specific complication and are evidence-based from an extensive literature search. Each chapter is constructed to follow a defined approach to the problem to ensure inclusiveness of evidence, clarity, and consistency.

An overview of risk analysis --Overview of regional anesthesia complications -- An overview of strategies to reduce risk -- Bleeding complications -- Infectious complications -- Hemodynamic complications -- Local anesthetic systemic toxicity -- Adjuvant and preservative toxicity -- Meningeal puncture headache -- Neuraxis mechanical injury -- Local anesthetic neurotoxicity and cauda equina syndrome -- Neuraxis ischemic injury -- transient neurologic symptoms -- Peripheral nerve injury -- Myotoxicity -- Pulmonary complications -- The role of nerve localization techniques in safety -- Unintended destinations of local anesthetics -- Complications associated with systemic opioids and patient-controlled analgesia -- Complications associated with continuous epidural analgesia -- Continuous peripheral nerve blocks -- Complications associated with stellate ganglion and lumbar sympathetic blocks -- Complications associated with neurolytic celiac plexus block -- Complications associated with superior hypogastric and ganglion lmpar blocks -- Complications associated with intrathecal drug delivery systems -- Complications associated with spinal cord stimulation -- Complications associated with epidural, facet joint, and sacroiliac joint injections -- Complications associated with transforaminal injections -- Complications associated with discography and intradiscal treatment techniques -- The role of image guidance in improving the safety of pain treatment -- Complications associated with neurolytic blocks -- Complications associated with radiofrequency treatment for chronic pain -- Complications associated with lysis of epidural adhesions and epiduroscopy -- Complications associated with chronic opioid therapy -- Complications associated with chronic steroid use -- Findings from the ASA closed claims project -- The use of opioid analgesics: legal and regulatory issues -- Informed consent and documentation.