Prehospital ultrasound-guided nerve blocks improve reduction-feasibility of dislocated extremity injuries compared to systemic analgesia. A randomized controlled trial

<div><p>Background</p><p>Out-of-hospital analgosedation in trauma patients is challenging for emergency physicians due to associated complications. We compared peripheral nerve block (PNB) with analgosedation (AS) as an analgetic approach for patients with isolated extremity injury, assuming that prehospital required medical interventions (e.g. reduction, splinting of dislocation injury) using PNB are less painful and more feasible compared to AS.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Thirty patients (aged 18 or older) were randomized to receive either ultrasound-guided PNB (10 mL prilocaine 1%, 10 mL ropivacaine 0.2%) or analgosedation (midazolam combined with s-ketamine or with fentanyl). Reduction-feasibility was classified (easy, intermediate, impossible) and pain scores were assessed using numeric rating scales (NRS 0–10).</p><p>Results</p><p>Eighteen patients were included in the PNB-group and twelve in the AS-group; 15 and 9 patients, respectively, suffered dislocation injury. In the PNB-group, reduction was more feasible (easy: 80.0%, impossible: 20.0%) compared to the AS-group (easy: 22.2%, intermediate: 22.2%, impossible: 55.6%; p = 0.01). During medical interventions, 5.6% [1/18] of the PNB-patients and 58.3% [7/12] of the AS-patients experienced pain (p<0.01). Recorded pain scores were significantly lower in the PNB-group during prehospital medical intervention (median[IQR] NRS PNB: 0[0–0]) compared to the AS-group (6[0–8]; p<0.001) as well as on first day post presentation (NRS PNB: 1[0–5], AS: 5[5–7]; p = 0.050). All patients of the PNB-group would recommend their analgesic technique (AS: 50.0%, p<0.01).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Prehospital ultrasound-guided PNB is rapidly performed in extremity injuries with high success. Compared to the commonly used AS in trauma patients, PNB significantly reduces pain intensity and severity.</p></div

Pain intensity and patient satisfaction.

<p>Pain intensity and patient satisfaction.</p

Patient characteristics.

<p>Patient characteristics.</p

Flow diagram summarizing the study design.

<p>Flow diagram summarizing the study design.</p

Additional file 1 of Teaching Medical Students Rapid Ultrasound for shock and hypotension (RUSH): learning outcomes and clinical performance in a proof-of-concept study

Supplementary Material

Point-of-care-laboratory examination in patients with prehospital stroke treatment.

<p>*normal aPTT values for Hemochron Jr. ITC Edison, USA below 42 seconds.</p

Brain imaging in prehospitally treated stroke patients

<p>. Patient with ischemic stroke: Prehospital CT excluded contraindications for thrombolysis as a precondition for prehospital rt-PA thrombolysis (A). The “hyperdense middle cerebral artery” sign (arrow) suggested middle cerebral artery occlusion that was later confirmed in hospital by angiography (B), and reopened by intraarterial recanaliziation (C). Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging at day 7 showed the residual infarction (D). Patient with hemorrhagic stroke: Prehospital CT scan allowed immediate diagnosis of intracerebral hemorrhage with ventricular extension (E), as a precondition for prehospital differential blood pressure management and telemedicine consultation with hospital experts. CT performed at day 24 shows the residual lesion (F).</p