title: A comparison of pre-operative nerve stimulator-guided femoral nerve block and fascia iliaca compartment block in patients with a femoral neck fracture.
abstract: We undertook a randomised, controlled trial to compare the analgesic efficacy and opioid sparing effect of nerve stimulator-guided femoral nerve block with fascia iliaca compartment block in patients awaiting surgery for fractured neck of femur. Ten-centimetre visual analogue pain scores were measured before and 2 h after the block and opioid consumption was recorded in the 12-h period after the block. One hundred and ten patients were randomly assigned. Femoral nerve block provided superior pre-operative analgesia for fractured neck of femur compared with fascia iliaca compartment block. The difference in the mean reduction of pain score after the block was 0.9 (95% CI 0-1.8); p = 0.047. Patients receiving a femoral nerve block required less morphine after the block than those receiving fascia iliaca compartment block (p = 0.041).
authors.affiliation: Acute Pain Service, Poole Hospital NHSFT, Poole, UK.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Layzell
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horn
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D005205:Fascia; D005260:Female; D005265:Femoral Neck Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D005267:Femoral Nerve; D006801:Humans; D000077554:Levobupivacaine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000077554:Levobupivacaine; D002045:Bupivacaine