Combined fascia iliaca compartment block and monitored anesthesia care for geriatric patients with hip fracture: Two case reports

BACKGROUND Major hip surgery usually requires neuraxial or general anesthesia with tracheal intubation and may be supplemented with a nerve block to provide intraoperative and postoperative pain relief.CASE SUMMARY This report established that hip surgical procedures can be performed with a fascia iliaca compartment block(FICB)and monitored anesthesia care(MAC)while avoiding neuraxial or general anesthesia.This was a preliminary experience with two geriatric patients with hip fracture,American Society of Anesthesiologists status III,and with many comorbidities.Neither patient could be operated on within 48 h after admission.Both general anesthesia and neuraxial anesthesia were high-risk procedures and had contraindications.Hence,we chose nerve block combined with a small amount of sedation.Intraoperative analgesia was provided by single-injection ultrasound-guided FICB.Light intravenous sedation was added.Surgical exposure was satisfactory,and neither patient complained of any symptoms during the procedure.CONCLUSION This report showed that hip surgery for geriatric patients can be performed with FICB and MAC,although complications and contraindications are common.The anesthetic program was accompanied by stable respiratory and circulatory system responses and satisfactory analgesia while avoiding the adverse effects and problems associated with either neuraxial or general anesthesia.

Efficacy of fascia iliaca compartment nerve block as part of multimodal analgesia after surgery for femoral bone fracture

BACKGROUND: Fascia iliaca compartment nerve block(FICNB) has been an established technique for postoperative analgesia after surgery for femoral bone fracture. FICNB is technically easy, effective for postoperative pain control after operation for femoral bone fracture and decreases the complications induced by systemic analgesic drugs. The severity of postoperative pain is affected by genetics, cultural and social factors across the world. In this study we assessed the efficacy of fascia iliaca compartment nerve block when it is used as part of multimodal analgesia after surgery for femoral bone fracture.METHODS: An institution-based case control study was conducted from September, 2013 to May, 2014. All patients who had been operated on under spinal anesthesia for femoral bone fracture were included. The patients divided into a FICNB group(n=20) and a control group(n=20). The FICNB group was given 30 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine at the end of the operation. Postoperative pain was assessed within the f irst 24 hours, i.e. at 15 minutes, 2 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours using 100 mm visual analogue scale(VAS), total analgesic consumption, and the time for the f irst analgesic request.RESULTS: VAS pain scores were reduced within the f irst 24 hours after operation in the FICNB group compared wtih the control group. VAS scores at 2 hours were taken as median values(IQR) 0.00(0.00) vs.18.00(30.00), P=0.001; at 6 hours 0.00(0.00) vs. 34.00(20.75), P=0.000; at 24 hours 12.50(10.00) vs. 31.50(20.75), P=0.004; and at 12 hours(17.80±12.45) vs.(29.95±12.40), P=0.004, respectively. The total analgesic consumption of diclofenac at 12 and 24 hours was reduced in the FICNB group, and the time for the fi rst analgesic request was signifi cantly prolonged(417.50 vs. 139.25 minutes, P=0.000).CONCLUSIONS: A single injection for FICNB could lead to postoperative pain relief, reduction of total analgesic consumption and prolonged time for the fi rst analgesic request in the FICNB group after surgery for femoral bone fracture. We recommend FICNB for analgesia after surgery for femoral bone fracture and for patients with femoral bone fracture at the emergency department.