Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Oct 1;41(10):828-839.
doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000003440. Epub 2025 Oct 1.

Ultrasound-Guided Regional Analgesia in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Ashkon Shaahinfar  1   2 , Nicole Klekowski  3 , Mukuka Kangwa  4 , Margaret G Parker  5 , Zachary W Binder  6
Affiliations
Review

Ultrasound-Guided Regional Analgesia in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Ashkon Shaahinfar et al. Pediatr Emerg Care. .

Abstract

Ultrasound-guided regional analgesia (UGRA) is a valuable component of a multimodal approach to pain management for children in the emergency department (ED). While widely used in pediatric anesthesiology, its adoption in the pediatric ED setting remains limited despite growing evidence supporting its safety and efficacy. UGRA can provide effective analgesia for pediatric patients with painful conditions while reducing reliance on opioids. However, successful implementation of a pediatric UGRA program requires structured training, multidisciplinary collaboration, and workflow optimization. This review summarizes the evidence base for pediatric UGRA, highlights key pediatric considerations for emergency providers, and outlines strategies for program implementation, including educational resources and system-based approaches to ensure safe and effective use in the pediatric ED setting.

Keywords: nerve blocks; pediatric trauma; point-of-care ultrasound; regional analgesia.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Mahmood SMJ, Bhana NB, Kong C, et al. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA) in the emergency department: a scoping review. Pain Manag. 2024;14:571–578.
    1. Goldsmith AJ, Brown J, Duggan NM, et al. Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks in emergency medicine practice: 2022 updates. Am J Emerg Med. 2024;78:112–119.
    1. Policy Statement: Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Blocks. American College of Emergency Physicians. Published April 2021. Accessed January 24, 2025. https://www.acep.org/siteassets/new-pdfs/policy-statements/
    1. Best Practices Guidelines for Acute Pain Management in Trauma Patients. American College of Surgeons; 2020. Accessed January 24, 2025. https://www.facs.org/media/exob3dwk/acute_pain_guidelines.pdf
    1. Lewis SR, Price A, Walker KJ, et al. Ultrasound guidance for upper and lower limb blocks. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;2015:CD006459.

LinkOut - more resources