title: Supracondylar radial nerve block for treatment of distal radius fractures in the emergency department.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with acute distal radius fractures are frequently treated in the emergency department (ED) with closed reduction and splinting. Many of the anesthesia methods frequently employed may either lack efficacy or require additional monitoring and resources.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 18-year-old woman presented to the ED with a dorsally angulated distal radius fracture (Colles fracture). As an alternative to procedural sedation, an ultrasound-guided block of the radial nerve proximal to its bifurcation into the deep and superficial branches was performed. The resulting anesthesia was adequate to reduce and splint the fracture with minimal discomfort for the patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasound-guided supracondylar block of the radial nerve proximal to the origin of the deep and superficial branches provides safe and efficacious anesthesia for distal radius fracture reduction in the ED.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Highland General Hospital/Alameda County Medical Center, Oakland, California 94602-1018, USA.
authors.forename: Oron
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Frenkel
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Herring
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carnell
authors.forename: Arun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagdev
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003100:Colles' Fracture / Q000601:surgery*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D011826:Radial Nerve; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local