Traction Splinting for midshaft femoral fractures in the pre-hospital and Emergency Department environment-A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Pain and hemorrhage are common in midshaft femoral fractures. Traction splints (TSs) can reduce pain and control hemorrhage, but evidence of their effectiveness in femoral fractures is still lacking. Through a systematic review, we aimed to analyze and discuss the potential role of TSs in the prehospital and emergency department (ED) setting.

METHODS

The Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane, and PubMed databases were searched up to January 2022. All studies on femoral fractures in the prehospital or ED setting that compared TSs with immobilization or no intervention were included. Articles not written in English, German, or Dutch were excluded. Two authors screened all articles, assessed their quality, and included them if both agreed on their inclusion. The risk of bias was assessed using the modified Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies (MINORS). The primary outcome measures were pain and hemorrhage control, while the secondary outcome measures were survivability, morbidity, and complications.

RESULTS

A total of 1,248 articles matched the search strategy, 24 articles were assessed for eligibility based on their abstracts, resulting in 20 articles being included in the synthesis. Ten articles reviewed the effects of TSs on pain, while five reported that the use of a TS was appropriate. All five articles that reviewed blood loss found benefits from the use of a TS. One study found significantly fewer pulmonary complications in patients who were splinted earlier at the scene of injury (level III). No difference was found in complications or mortality between prehospital patients receiving a TS or no TS (level III). None of the studies noted that TSs were a necessity in the ED setting; however, some argued that a TS is a necessary and useful prehospital tool in rural or military areas.

CONCLUSION

TS use is associated with a decreased necessity for blood transfusions and fewer pulmonary complications. No favorable effects were found in terms of pain relief. We recommend the use of TSs in situations where one is likely to encounter a femoral fracture as well as when the time to definitive treatment is long. Further well-designed studies are required to validate these recommendations.

Review article: Paramedic pain management of femur fractures in the prehospital setting: A systematic review

Femur shaft and neck of femur (NOF) fractures are often undertreated in the prehospital setting. These injuries can present unique clinical and logistical concerns in the prehospital setting. This systematic review aimed to investigate paramedic prehospital pain management of patients who had suffered NOF or femur fractures, and to investigate which interventions are effective. A systematic review was conducted in line with Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Four databases were searched from inception date 23 March 2020. Articles were independently reviewed by two authors and conflicts resolved by a third author, followed by a hand search of the included reference lists. References were included if they addressed paramedic interventions for NOF or femur shaft fractures. Outcomes of interest were the effectiveness and complications of different modalities administered by paramedics. The search yielded 6868 articles, of which 19 met the final inclusion criteria. Studies investigated a variety of interventions including traction splints, intravenous (IV) analgesia and alternative analgesic options. Traction splinting and IV analgesia were consistently reported as underutilised. Alternative analgesics such as auricular acupressure, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and fascia iliaca compartment block were found to be effective techniques that could be safely and competently employed by paramedics, reducing pain for patients with limited adverse events. NOF and femur shaft fractures are an undertreated injury in the prehospital setting. Traction splinting and IV analgesia remain the traditional methodologies of treatment for these injuries; however, there are alternatives such as TENS, auricular acupressure and fascia iliaca compartment block that appear to be emerging as safe and effective options for the prehospital setting.