Italian Data Registry of Patients Undergoing Peripheral Nerve Block Performed in the Emergency Departments

Pain in emergency departments (EDs) is often inadequately treated. The consequences of inadequate treatment of pain defined as "oligoanalgesia," can have a negative impact on patient outcomes. The main reasons for this include lack of appropriate pathways, incorrect habits and aversion to opioid use. Pain is a symptom present in 78% of patients entering emergency departments, and among the main causes is trauma. A multimodal approach to pain treatment is more effective and minimizes side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and drowsiness due to the use of some drugs such as opioids. Over the past fifteen years, numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of pain treatment using Point-of-Care Ultrasound Guided Regional Anaesthesia (POCUS-GRA) even outside the operating room. This data registry aim is to describe the practice of Point-of-Care Ultrasound Guided Regional Anaesthesia (POCUS-GRA) in emergency departments of nosocomial hospitals where, the organizational structure, has already provided for the implementation of peripheral nerve blocks (PNB) in common clinical practice for the treatment of acute pain due to bone fractures.

Inclusion criteria

• Age ≥18 years;
• NRS>3
• Patients with traumatic fractures of ≤2 districts (radiologically confirmed (RX or CT). Districts are:

Chest (one hemilateral) Pelvis (one hemilateral) Femur Leg Ankle Foot Shoulder Humerus Forearm Hand/fingers

• Presence of written informed consent to the study.

Exclusion criteria

• Intubated patients
• Patients with known dementia
• Patients with delirium (assessed by Confusion Assessment Method)
• Pregnant patients
• Patients with allergies to local anesthetics
• Patients unable to adequately communicate pain