Serratus Anterior Plane Blocks for Rib Fractures in the ED

Serratus Anterior Plane Blocks for Rib Fractures in the ED

Rib fractures occur in up to 10% of all traumatically injured patients and these fractures are frequently associated with respiratory complications such a pneumonia. In the ED, our typical protocol to decrease the incidence of these respiratory complications is early initiation of aggressive pain control and pulmonary hygiene. These patients often will receive systemic analgesia with opiates to decrease the incidence of these respiratory complications, which leads to its own set of opiate associated-complications, including constipation, delirium and dependence.

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US Case of the Month: October

US Case of the Month: October

Chest wall trauma can be exceedingly painful, predisposing patients to splinting, atelectasis, and pneumonia. Chest wall nerve blocks provide analgesia and can facilitate necessary procedures. Dr. Hassani takes us through a case of through a case of traumatic pneumothorax with chest tube placement, and the serratus anterior block.

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