The use of a fascia iliaca compartment block has been shown to reduce pain, decrease length of stay and decrease the opiate requirements for patients with hip fractures.
Fascia iliac blocks can be challenging to implement routinely in the emergency department. Studies show that 2.5% of eligible patients, despite departmental implementation, receive a block.
One recently published article showed that large scale multi-disciplinary implementation can increase the use of fascia iliac blocks. After implementation, the study team found that 54% of eligible patients received a fascia iliac block.
This article is interesting as it provides helpful resources including physician and nursing protocols for performing this block.
References
Downs T, Jacquet J, Disch J, Kolodychuk N, Talmage L, Krizo J, Simon EL, Meehan A, Stenberg R. Large-scale Implementation of Fascia Iliaca Compartment Blocks in an Emergency Department. West J Emerg Med. 2023 May 3;24(3):384-389. doi: 10.5811/westjem.58793. PMID: 37278790; PMCID: PMC10284502.
