Month: December 2020

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Erector Spinae Nerve Block for Abdominal Pain – A Case for Better Analgesia

Background

 

In the age of the opioid epidemic, there is a need for multi-modal pain control techniques, and nerve blocks will likely be an increasingly important piece of the puzzle, particularly in the Emergency Department. Ultrasound-guided nerve blocks for musculoskeletal complaints are now standard practice for many emergency physicians, so it is a reasonable next step to utilize this modality in lieu of opioids for abdominal complaints as well.

The erector spinae plane (ESP) block has been shown to improve pain control for rib fractures in the emergency department, and a more inferior approach has demonstrated success in the perioperative period for abdominal surgeries (1,2). However, this type of block has not been studied for the management of abdominal pain in the emergency department.

This study examined the efficacy of the ESP block on patients with acute appendicitis to see if it could reduce opioid use.

 

A Novel Technique to Reduce Reliance on Opioids for Analgesia from Acute Appendicitis: The Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block

Clinical Question

Can an inferiorly located, ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block successfully manage the pain of acute appendicitis in the emergency department setting?

Methods & Study Design

Case report in which ultrasound guidance was used to perform an ESP block at the L1 level.

The patient was a 24-year-old male with uncomplicated appendicitis as diagnosed on CT. The location for needle insertion was identified by palpating the L1 spinous process and placing a linear probe 3 cm lateral, at the transverse process. A Touhy needle was advanced under ultrasound guidance to the level of the transverse process, and saline hydrodissection was used to confirm the needle tip in the fascial plane. Then, 20mL of 1% lidocaine was injected.

Results

Initially, the patient was reporting 7/10 pain following analgesia with 0.5 mg IV hydromorphone, 30 mg IV ketorolac, and 1 g IV acetaminophen. Thirty minutes following placement of the erector spinae plane block, the patient reported 0/10 pain without palpation, and 3/10 pain with deep palpation. Testing to cold revealed loss of sensation between the T10-L2 dermatomes. The patient did not require additional analgesia during the rest of his 5.5-hour emergency department stay. 

Strength & Limitations

While this is a case study of only one patient, it provides explicit guidance on performing an erector spinae plane block in the emergency department setting. However, the primary method of assessing pain control is inherently subjective and may be limited by the patient’s perception of the efficacy of the block. Further, the patient had already received analgesia, which may have impacted the efficacy of the block over the course of the ED stay. 

Authors Conclusion

“A single injection, ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block can provide complete analgesia for appendicitis.”

Our Conclusion

Performing an erector spinae plane block at the L1 level was an effective adjunct to opioid analgesia in this case. Because of the relative safety of this block and efficacy in this case, it warrants further investigation as to the ideal level for pain control, particularly in a larger sample of patients. 

The Bottom Line 

 

When performed in a more inferior position, an ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block may be an effective form of analgesia for appendicitis in the emergency department setting. 

For excellent guides on how to perform erector spinae blocks see here:

EMRA

Highland Ultrasound 

Authors

This post was written by Kaley Waring, MS4 at UCSD School of Medicine, Charles Murchison MD and Amir Aminlari MD.

References

Mantuani et al. A Novel Technique to Reduce Reliance on Opioids for Analgesia from Acute Appendicitis: The Ultrasound-guided Erector Spinae Plane Block. Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. 2019 Aug; 3(3): 248–251.

1. Luftig J, Mantuani D, Herring AA, et al. Successful emergency pain control for posterior rib fractures with ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block. Am J Emerg Med. 2018;36(8):1391–6

2. Chin KJ, Adhikary S, Sarwani N, et al. The analgesic efficacy of pre-operative bilateral erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks in patients having ventral hernia repair. Anaesthesia. 2017;72(4):452–60

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Case 25: Aortic Dissection

A 44 year old male with a history of heroin abuse presents to the emergency department with altered mental status.  Per EMS, the patient was found on the street with decreased level of consciousness and poor respiratory effort.  EMS was concerned about opioid overdose, and he was treated with 4mg Narcan, with improvement in his mental status.  

Upon arrival to the ED, he was noted to be agitated and tachypneic with RR in the 40’s.  

Vitals: BP 90/65 mmHg, HR 110, O2 100% on RA, glucose 158.

He is alert and oriented to person, month, and place, but appears agitated and confused.  He denies any complaints other than shortness of breath, and states he felt fine before using heroin.  He denies any past medical history.

Exam notable for tachycardia, diffuse rhonchi throughout all lung fields, 2+ nonpitting lower extremity edema.  He is neurologically intact with 2+ pulses throughout.

A bedside echocardiogram was performed, what do you see?  What are your next steps?

PS long
dilated aortic root
aortic dissection suprasternal ultrasound
abdominal aortic dissection ultrasound
abdominal aortic dissection ultrasound
dissection to iliacs ultrasound

Answer and Learning Points

Answer:

The first two images show a parasternal long-axis view, with a dilated aortic root measuring approximately 4.2cm.  Also notice the pericardial effusion with a homogenous layer that appears fixed to the pericardium.  At the time it was unclear whether this represented a clot within the pericardial sac, or was superficial to it.

Given the dilated aortic root, a suprasternal short-axis view was obtained to assess the proximal aorta, with the short axis view seen on the third image.  A flap was visualized in the aortic lumen, significant for an ascending aortic dissection.  The dissection was then visualized in the abdominal aorta, extending distal to the common iliac arteries, seen in the last images.

The patient was placed on esmolol drip and later required vasopressor support.  CT angiography was obtained, confirming a Type A aortic dissection.  He was transferred to a nearby hospital for emergent repair of his ascending and descending aortic dissection.  

Per the operative report, the patient had developed a significant pericardial effusion by the time he reached the OR, and the visualized homogenous layer above most likely represented a blood clot within the pericardium.

Learning Points:

    • While CTA remains the gold standard for diagnosis of aortic dissection, POCUS remains a great tool for diagnosing both ascending and descending aortic dissection, particularly in the unstable patient.
    • In addition to directly visualizing the dissection flap, TTE can also be used to identify patients with high risk features, such as those with cardiac tamponade, severe aortic dilatation, severe aortic regurgitation, regional wall motion abnormalities, and decreased ejection fraction (1).
    • TTE has been shown to have a sensitivity of 78-90% and specificity 87-96% for type A dissection in older studies (2,3), and in more recent studies showing improved sensitivity up to 97-99% (1,4,5) and specificity 100% (4) with improved image quality.
    • The suprasternal notch views are particularly useful in evaluating the proximal ascending aorta, and allow the operator to assess for aortic dissection, coarctation, dilatation of the aortic arch, and retrograde flow from the descending aorta.

References

1. Sobczyk D, Nycz K. Feasibility and accuracy of bedside transthoracic echocardiography in diagnosis of acute proximal aortic dissection. Cardiovasc Ultrasound. 2015;13:15.

2. Evangelista A, Flachskamp FA, Erbel R, Antonini-Canterin F, Vlachopoulos C, Rocchi G, et al. Echocardiography in aortic diseases: EAE recommendations for clinical practice. Eur J Echocardiogr. 2010;11:645–58. doi: 10.1093/ejechocard/jeq056.

3. Nienaber CA, von Kodolitsch Y, Nicolas V, Siglow V, Piepho A, Jaup T, et al. The diagnosis of thoracic aortic dissection by noninvasive imaging procedures. N Engl J Med. 1993;328:1–9. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199301073280101.

4. Cecconi M, Chirillo F, Constantini C, Iacobone G, Lopez E, Zanoli R, et al. The role of transthoracic echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of acute type A aortic syndrome. Am Heart J. 2012;163(1):112–8. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2011.09.022.

5. Nazerian, P., Vanni, S., Castelli, M. et al.Diagnostic performance of emergency transthoracic focus cardiac ultrasound in suspected acute type A aortic dissection. Intern Emerg Med9, 665–670 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11739-014-1080-9

This post was written by Rachna Subramony MD, Alex Anshus MD, with editing from Sukhdeep Singh MD, Charles Murchison MD and Amir Aminlari MD.

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