Background: Patients require procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) for the treatment of acute traumatic injuries. PSA has complications. Ultrasound (US) guided peripheral nerve block is a safe alternative.
Aim: Ultrasound guided nerve blocks for management of traumatic limb emergencies in Emergency Department (ED).
Setting and design: Prospective observational study conducted in ED.
Materials and methods: Patients above five years requiring analgesia for management of limb emergencies were recruited. Emergency Physicians trained in US guided nerve blocks performed the procedure.
Statistical analysis: Effectiveness of pain control, using visual analogue scale was assessed at baseline and at 15 and 60 minutes after the procedure. Paired t test was used for comparison.
Results: Fifty US guided nerve blocks were sciatic- 4 (8%), femoral-7 (14%), brachial- 29 (58%), median -6 (12%), and radial 2 (4%) nerves. No patients required rescue PSA. Initial median VAS score was 9 (Inter Quartile Range [IQR] 7-10) and at 1 hour was 2(IQR 0-4). Median reduction in VAS score was 7.44 (IQR 8-10(75%), 1-2(25%) (P=0.0001). Median procedure time was 9 minutes (IQR 3, 12 minutes) and median time to reduction of pain was 5 minutes (IQR 1,15 minutes). No immediate or late complications noticed at 3 months.
Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks can be safely and effectively performed for upper and lower limb emergencies by emergency physicians with adequate training.
Keywords: Emergency department; nerve block; ultrasound.