Towards evidence-based emergency medicine: best BETs from the Manchester Royal Infirmary. BET 2: does magnesium prolong the analgaesic effect of bupivacaine in a fascia iliaca nerve block?

Abstract

A shortcut review was carried out to establish whether routine use of magnesium as an adjunct to bupivacaine fascia iliaca nerve block in femoral neck fracture was effective in prolonging its analgaesic effect. Forty-four papers were found using the reported searches, of which one presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of this paper are tabulated. It is concluded that while magnesium has the potential to prolong the analgaesic effect of bupivacaine further studies are needed to clarify its exact role and safety profile.