Ultrasound-guided hematoma block and fracture reduction: a new way to go forward

A Narrative Review of the Uses of Ultrasound in the Evaluation, Analgesia, and Treatment of Distal Forearm Fractures

BACKGROUND

Distal forearm fractures are a commonly encountered injury in the emergency department (ED), accounting for 500,000 to 1.5 million visits and 17% of ED fractures. The evaluation and management of these fractures frequently employs x-ray studies, conscious sedation, closed reduction, and splinting. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can offer significant benefit in the diagnosis and management of these common injuries.

OBJECTIVE OF THE REVIEW

To review the clinical utility of POCUS in the diagnosis of distal forearm fractures, as well as to demonstrate the performance of ultrasound-guided analgesia delivery and ultrasound-guided reduction technique.

DISCUSSION

The initial evaluation of forearm injuries frequently includes x-ray studies. However, multiple studies have shown ultrasound to be sensitive and specific for distal radius fractures, with the added value of detecting soft tissue injuries missed by conventional radiography. POCUS may also facilitate analgesia through the use of ultrasound-guided hematoma blocks, which removes the need for conscious sedation prior to manipulation. Finally, POCUS can be used after manipulation to assess cortical realignment of the bone fragments and spare the patient multiple reduction attempts and repeat radiographs.

CONCLUSION

Distal forearm fractures are common, and the emergency physician should be adept with the evaluation and management of these injuries. POCUS can be a reliable modality in the detection of these fractures and can be used to facilitate analgesia and augment success of reduction attempts. These techniques may decrease length of stay, improve patient pain, and decrease reduction attempts.

Use of point-of-care ultrasound in long bone fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Long bone fractures (LBFs) are among the most frequent traumatic injuries seen in emergency departments. Reduction and immobilization is the most common form of treatment for displaced fractures. Point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) is a promising technique for diagnosing LBFs and assessing the success of reduction attempts. This article offers a comprehensive review of the use of PoCUS for the diagnosis and reduction of LBFs. Data source MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched through July 19, 2015. Study selection We included prospective studies that assessed test characteristics of PoCUS in 1) the diagnosis or 2) the reduction of LBFs. The methodological quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. Data extraction Thirty studies met inclusion criteria (n=3,506; overall fracture rate 48.0%). Test characteristics of PoCUS for the diagnosis of LBFs were as follows: sensitivity 64.7%-100%, specificity 79.2%-100%, positive likelihood ratio (LR) 3.11-infinity, and negative LR zero-0.45. Sensitivity and specificity for the adequate reduction of LBFs with PoCUS were 94%-100% and 56%-100%, respectively. PoCUS diagnosis of pediatric forearm fractures in 10 studies showed a pooled sensitivity of 93.1% (95% confidence interval [CI], 87.2%-96.4%) and specificity of 92.9% (95% CI, 86.6%-96.4%), and PoCUS diagnosis of adult ankle fractures in four studies showed a pooled sensitivity of 89.5% (95% CI, 77.0%-95.6%) and specificity of 94.2% (95% CI, 86.1%-97.7%).

CONCLUSION

PoCUS demonstrates good diagnostic accuracy in all LBFs studied, especially in pooled results of diagnosis of pediatric forearm and adult ankle fractures. PoCUS is an appropriate adjunct to plain radiographs for LBFs.