TY  - JOUR
T1  - Femoral Nerve Block for Diaphyseal and Distal Femoral Fractures in the Emergency Department
AU  - Mutty, Christopher E.
Y1  - 2008/08/01
N1  - 
JO  - The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery
SP  - 1788
EP  - 1789
VL  - 90
IS  - 8
N2  - 
The first and most pointed question raised by Mr. Rogers and Mr. Rang is whether we should be doing nerve blocks at all in patients with an acute lower-extremity injury. The risk-benefit ratio of the use of a femoral nerve block to manage pain caused by a femoral fracture was carefully examined prior to the start of our study. Trauma patients in the emergency department are in a unique category. These patients often have severe, multiple injuries. To adequately manage the pain of a fractured femur would require a level of intravenous opioid analgesia that could alter subtle clues to the trauma team that additional, potentially life-threatening conditions could be present or developing. Perhaps an improved protocol for systemic analgesia that does not diminish the trauma team's ability to monitor the patient can be designed.

SN  - 0021-9355
M3  - doi: 
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ER  -