Erector Spinae Block for Chest Trauma in Aeromedical Prehospital and Retrieval Medicine

Abstract

Pain management for patients with chest trauma in aeromedical prehospital and retrieval medicine is important in order to maintain respiratory function. However, it can be challenging to achieve with opioids alone due to side effects including sedation, respiratory depression, and nausea.Reported are two trauma patients with uncontrolled pain despite multiple doses of opioids managed with a single-injection erector spinae plane block (ESB).The sono-anatomy and performance of the block, indications, and possible complications associated with the ESB are described.An ultrasound-guided ESB is useful for multimodal pain therapy following chest trauma in aeromedical retrieval medicine.

Keywords: anesthesia; chest trauma; erector spinae block; pain; prehospital; retrieval.