Reducing emergency department burden through the implementation of femoral nerve block in patients with femoral fractures

BackgroundTimely and effective pain management is essential in the emergency department, particularly for patients with femoral fractures. Despite their potential benefits, femoral nerve blocks remain underutilized compared to intravenous opioid administration. MethodsThis retrospective study evaluated patients with femoral fractures who received either femoral nerve blocks (Group 1) or standard Intravenous opioid treatment (Group 2). Pain reduction was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale, and Intravenous opioid use was recorded. ResultsGroup 1 experienced a significantly greater reduction in pain scores (mean decrease of 4.96 vs. 3.99; p < 0.001). While the frequency of Intravenous opioid use was slightly lower in Group 1 (1.35 vs. 1.64; p = 0.063), the trend suggests a reduction in opioid reliance. The average time to additional opioid administration post-femoral nerve blocks was 6.49 hours. ConclusionsFemoral nerve blocks offer superior analgesia for femoral fractures and may reduce opioid use in the emergency departments, potentially easing the burden on emergency staff. Further studies are warranted to validate these findings.