Herrick MD, et al. - Researchers tested their hypothesis that regional anesthesia may decrease complication rates and resource utilization in shoulder arthroplasty patients. They used logistic regression and examined administrative data from 588 US hospitals from 2010 to 2015. A 16% increase in all-cause infectious complications was noted among patients who had general anesthesia alone (compared to general anesthesia and nerve block) and these patients were 2.6 times more likely to develop pulmonary complications. Overall, a reduction in perioperative complications, the need for intensive care unit transfers, blood transfusions, and prolonged hospital stays may be achieved with regional anesthesia in patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty.