Best evidence topic report. No evidence found that a femoral nerve block in cases of femoral shaft fractures can delay the diagnosis of compartment syndrome of the thigh.
A short cut review was carried out to establish whether a femoral nerve block may mask the signs and symptoms of thigh compartment syndrome. No relevant papers were found using the reported search. There is no evidence to associate a femoral nerve block with a delayed or missed diagnosis of compartment syndrome.
Karagiannis
George
G
Department of Emergency Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester M13 9WL, UK.
Hardern
Richard
R
D003161:Compartment Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D013848:Thigh