Fascia iliaca compartment block reduces morphine requirement pre-operatively for patients with fractured neck of femur

Abstract

Introduction: Fascia iliaca compartment block, performed in the emergency department (A&E) in patients presenting with femoral neck fracture, has gained increasing recognition as an adjunctive analgesic. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether fascia iliaca block (FIB) significantly reduced the requirement for systemic opiates in the pre-operative setting.

Materials and methods: Analgesia requirements for all patients admitted with fractured neck of femur to one unit over a 9-month period were gathered prospectively. Fifty percent of patients had received FIB at diagnosis in the A&E, dependant on the expertise of the attending physician. Morphine administration between groups was analysed.

Results: Over a 9-month period, 286 patients with complete documentation were admitted with fractured neck of femur. At the start of the study, an informal education programme in A&E was introduced, increasing the incidence of FIB provision at diagnosis (p = <0.0001, Fisher's exact test) and reducing the average amount of morphine administered (p = 0.027, linear regression analysis). The administration of FIB reduced the average morphine requirement for a patient in A&E by 41 % when compared with those who received systemic analgesia alone (p = 0.018, Mann-Whitney test). No adverse effects were reported with FIB.

Conclusion: Fascia iliaca compartment block is a safe and effective method of providing analgesia to patients with fractured neck of femur and reduces morphine requirement.

Keywords: Fascia iliac compartment block; Femoral neck fractures; Nerve block.