EP131 Evaluation of the effectiveness of the erector spinae block (ESP) block for analgesia in patients with a hip fracture

<h3>Background and Aims</h3> Hip fracture is one of the most severe and common traumatic injuries, especially for elderly patients. This type of injury is accompanied by severe pain syndrome, which significantly affects the patient‘s general condition, stress level, mobility and treatment results. Effective analgesia at all stages of medical care is one of the most important components of treatment, which directly affects recovery and prognosis. The Erector Spinae block (ESP) is a relatively new analgesia technique in a group of patients with hip fracture, which was not previously used in Latvia. Aim of our study was to analyze whether the ESP block can be used for analgesia in patients with hip fractures. <h3>Methods</h3> <h3>Prospective observational study</h3> Before surgery, patients were taken to the preoperative observation ward, where they underwent ultrasound guided Erector Spinae block (ESP) with 30 ml of 0.375% ropivacaine. Then, at 5-min intervals, the patient‘s pain intensity was assessed using a Verbal Pain Intensity Scale (VPIS) and Analgesia Nociception Index (ANI) for 30 minutes. Statistical calculations were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics. <h3>Results</h3> 10 patients were included in the study. Before the ESP block, the average pain level according to VPIS was 5.7. After the block, a gradual reduction in pain was observed. After 30 minutes, the average pain level decreased to 0.8 points, indicating a significant analgesic effect of the nerve block (p=0.001). There were not statistical changes in ANI. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Our study highlights that ESP block might be an effective analgesic technique for hip fracture surgery.