🔥🫁 "Pain at the Core: On-Arrival Blocks for Chest and Abdomen" 🧍♂️🛡️
#PainAtTheCore #OnArrivalBlock
#TruncalAnalgesia #ChestWallBlock #AbdominalBlock
#RegionalAnesthesia #ESPBlock #TAPBlock
#SAPBlock #UltrasoundGuidedRA
#PointOfCareBlocks #OnArrivalRA #TipoftheDay #MyRATips
Tip of the Day:
🟦 Why FOCUS on Truncal Pain Early?
🫁 Chest and abdominal injuries often compromise vital functions - especially breathing, coughing, and cooperation.
🔥 Pain in these regions is often deep, diffuse, and distressing, and opioids alone may not suffice or may cause respiratory depression.
🛠️ Regional blocks offer site-specific, opioid-sparing relief that improves immediate care and downstream outcomes.
🟨 CLINICAL GOALS of Truncal On-Arrival Blocks
🫁 Restore respiratory efficiency (chest trauma, rib fractures)
🚑 Facilitate imaging, positioning, and transport
🧘 Relax abdominal guarding (peritonitis, pancreatitis)
📉 Reduce sympathetic overdrive in trauma
🫱 Enhance cooperation for procedures or airway planning
🟫 COMMON INDICATIONS
🟦 Chest Wall:
Rib fractures (especially multiple)
Flail chest
Post-thoracostomy or chest tube placement
Chest wall contusions in blunt trauma
🟨 Upper Abdomen:
Blunt abdominal trauma
Acute pancreatitis
Upper GI perforation or distension
Postoperative laparotomy or laparoscopy pain
🟧 Lower Abdomen:
Inguinal hernia (painful or strangulated)
Appendicitis with guarding
Abdominal wall hematomas or incisional pain
🟪 BEST CHOICES
🫁 For Chest Wall Injuries:
ESPB, SAPB, or ICNB.
Provide broad dermatomal coverage.
Safe to perform away from critical structures like the pleura.
Ideal for rib fractures, flail chest, and chest tube insertion pain.
🧼 For Upper Abdominal Pain:
ESPB at T6–T9 levels or TAP Block.
Relieve guarding and improve respiratory effort in conditions like pancreatitis or blunt abdominal trauma.
🧩 For Lower Abdominal Conditions:
TAP Block, RSB, IIN/IHN Block.
Provide localized anterior abdominal wall analgesia. Suitable for inguinal hernia, appendicitis, or post-incisional pain.
🟥 ESPB: CHAMPION?
✅ Superficial and safe (away from pleura/major vessels)
✅ Wide craniocaudal spread
✅ Suitable for non-sterile or semi-sterile environments
✅ Excellent for rib fractures and abdominal wall pain
✅ Can be done quickly with or without USG
🟧 KEY PEARLS
🧼 Basic aseptic precautions suffice in emergency use
🩻 USG is ideal but can be landmark-based if skilled
🧾 Document block site, volume, drug, and response
⏱️ Reassess for conversion to longer-acting block or catheter if needed
🟫 CHEST WALL BLOCKS: RULE
“Hit the Rib, Deposit the Drug”
🔹Deep SAP Block – Needle hits the rib, inject deep to serratus
🔹External Oblique Intercostal Plane Block – Target rib at anterior/mid-axillary line, inject above EO
🔹Parasternal Block – Identify rib near sternum, inject in intercostal plane
🎯A safe, reproducible approach - perfect for emergency or limited-resource settings.
🟨 ABDOMINAL WALL BLOCKS: RULE
“Follow the Muscle, Find the Plane”
🔹TAP Block – Feel or visualize the abdominal wall → insert between internal oblique & transversus abdominis
🔹Rectus Sheath Block – Palpate the rectus muscle → inject posterior to it, above posterior sheath
🔹Ilioinguinal/Iliohypogastric Block – Palpate ASIS → inject in plane between internal oblique and transversus abdominis near the iliac crest
🎯Key Tip: Identify the muscle → follow its plane → deposit where spread flows freely.
✅Reliable, reproducible, and effective for anterior abdominal wall analgesia.
"When pain impairs breathing or masks diagnosis, a timely On-Arrival Block for the trunk may be your best intervention - not just for comfort, but for survival."