Ultrasound-guided Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block for Hip Fractures in the Emergency Department.

Hip fracture (HFx) is a painful injury that is commonly seen in the emergency department (ED). Patients who experience pain from HFx are often treated with intravenous opiates, which may cause deleterious side effects, particularly in elderly patients. An alternative to systemic opioid analgesia involves peripheral nerve blockade. This approach may be ideally suited for the ED environment, where one injection could control pain for many hours. Haines L, Dickman E, Ayvazyan S, Pearl M, Wu S, Rosenblum D, Likourezos A.

J Emerg Med. 2012 Apr 9. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22494596 PDF