ULTRASOUND-GUIDED FASCIA ILIACA COMPARTMENT BLOCK

Course overview

PAIN MANAGEMENT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF PROVIDING CARE IN THE EMERGENCY SETTING. LOWER EXTREMITY PAIN FROM HIP FRACTURES, BURNS, AND OTHER TRAUMA IS A COMMON PRESENTING COMPLAINT. UNFORTUNATELY, PAIN MANAGEMENT CAN BE DIFFICULT DUE TO MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS, PATIENT PREFERENCES, AND OTHER PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN MAKE INTRAVENOUS ANALGESIA LESS DESIRABLE. OPIOID MEDICATIONS CAN BE ASSOCIATED WITH RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION, HYPOTENSION, MENTAL STATUS CHANGES, AND VOMITING. NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS CAN INCREASE BLEEDING RISK AND EXACERBATE UNDERLYING GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS. ACETAMINOPHEN ALONE IS OFTEN NOT SUFFICIENT FOR SEVERE PAIN. HIP FRACTURES, IN PARTICULAR, CAN CAUSE CONSIDERABLE PAIN, AND OFTEN OCCUR IN ELDERLY ADULTS WITH MULTIPLE COMORBIDITIES, WHICH MAKE ANALGESIA EVEN MORE CHALLENGING. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ULTRASOUND-GUIDED FASCIA ILIACA BLOCK, ITS INDICATIONS, AND CONTRAINDICATIONS, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS NEEDING PAIN RELIEF.