Erector spinae plane block for affective and safe analgesia in a patient with severe penetrating chest trauma caused by an explosion in the battlefield

Abstract

Abstract The ongoing conflict in Ukraine continues to generate many complex traumatic injuries and provides unique challenges to anaesthesiologists who provide medical care at various levels of medical evacuation. We report the successful use of an ultrasound‐guided continuous erector spinae plane (ESP) block in a patient with severe posterolateral chest trauma. The acute perioperative outcome of the patient was improved with the ESP block, the main benefits being excellent analgesia and minimal postoperative morphine requirements without influencing the risk of bleeding and coagulopathy. We conclude that continuous ESP block can be utilized to provide excellent analgesia following massive thoracic trauma. It's ease of placement under ultrasound guidance and low risk of complications makes this technique particularly useful in war medicine.

Keywords

• combat anesthesia
• continuous peripheral nerve block
• erector spinae plane block (ESP)
• postoperative regional anesthesia