Supraclavicular Blocks for the Treatment of Distal Injuries in the Upper Extremity in the Emergency Department

Author

Patrick O'BrienFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-10-2019

Document Type

DNP Project

Project Team Faculty Member

Mary Zerlan

Project Team Faculty Member

Chaya Gopalan

Project Team Faculty Member

Matt Bednarchik

Keywords

Supraclavicular block, upper extremity, opioid, emergency

Abstract

Opioid addiction in the United States has increased, and interventions needs to be put into place to manage pain with fewer opioids. Alternatives like peripheral nerve blocks can be used to aid in pain management for acute injuries like ankle and wrist fractures. The purpose of this project is to develop and create a regional anesthesia protocol for acute upper and lower extremity fractures in the emergency department (ED) at Passavant Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois, with the long-term goal of a reduction in opioid administration. An educational Power Point presentation was provided for the ED and the anesthesia personnel on July 17, 2018. A survey was distributed for the evaluation of the protocol and the presentation. The results of the survey revealed the following: over eighty percent of the participants believed that the protocols contained information necessary to perform or assist in a block procedure, and over ninety percent of participants suggested incorporating the use of both the supraclavicular and popliteal block protocols into daily practice. Utilization of both the supraclavicular and popliteal block protocol will likely lead to future reductions of opioid administration for pain control for this patient population, which would improve patient satisfaction scores and reduce the length of hospital stays.

Recommended Citation

O'Brien, Patrick, "Supraclavicular Blocks for the Treatment of Distal Injuries in the Upper Extremity in the Emergency Department" (2019). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 51.
https://spark.siue.edu/dnpprojects/51

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