Do femoral nerve blocks reduce acute pain and use of opioids in elderly patients with hip fractures?
BEEM Bottom Line
Why is this study important?
Hip fractures in the elderly are a significant burden in the emergency department (ED). In 2010 alone, there were over 250,000 cases of acute hip fracture in patients > 65 years old in the United States.[1] Femoral nerve block (FNB) has been shown to be an effective ED analgesic intervention that improves pain at rest, pain with movement, and overall function for patients with acute hip fracture.[2] Elderly patients although the most likely to suffer hip fractures, have often been excluded from such trials because of cognitive impairment. This is the first FNB trial to focus on elderly patients with hip fracture regardless of cognitive function.
Which, if any, threats to validity are most likely to have an impact on the results and how?
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