SplintER Series: Stop! Hammer Time



Read this tutorial on the use of point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) for pediatric fascia iliac block. Then test your skills on the ALiEMU course page to receive your PEM POCUS badge worth 2 hours of ALiEMU course credit.
Sarah is a 3-year-old girl who comes into the emergency department complaining of acute thigh pain that started 30 minutes ago. She was playing on a trampoline when she accidentally fell off. She had immediate pain to the left thigh and she’s been unable to walk since the fall. Parents carried her in to the emergency department for further evaluation.
On arrival, her vital signs are:
| Vital Sign | Finding |
|---|---|
| Temperature | 97.5 F |
| Heart Rate | 130 bpm |
| Blood Pressure | 97/50 |
| Respiratory Rate | 22 |
| Oxygen Saturation (room air) | 100% |
Given that the patient remains in significant painful distress despite non-opioid analgesia, you decide to incorporate POCUS-FINB to your evaluation and treatment.
The patient is evaluated by the on-call orthopedic team member and is found to have no evidence of neurovascular compromise or signs and symptoms of compartment syndrome. You confirm the availability of lipid emulsion (intralipid) in the emergency department and calculate the maximum safe dose of your anesthetic.

Tables 1 and 2 (cropped from original tables): Local anesthetic medications and their pharmacokinetics, weight-based maximum doses, and suggested total volumes (anesthetic + 0.9% normal saline) for fascia iliaca block
The patient undergoes a safe and effective fascia iliaca nerve block with her pain score improving from a 10 to a 2. The orthopedic team is able to place the patient into traction prior to transfer to the operating room.
At her orthopedic follow-up visit 4 weeks later, she’s doing well with minimal pain. Her follow up x-ray demonstrates appropriate healing with new bone formation.

A 35-year-old male presents after injuring his left shoulder while weight lifting two days ago. He describes sudden-onset pain with associated “pop” in his left anterior/medial shoulder and chest as he was bench pressing. On exam, he has ecchymosis over the medial aspect of his humeral shaft and left chest. He has decreased strength with resisted internal rotation of the shoulder. An MRI is obtained and shown above (Image 1: Case courtesy of Dr. Tim Luijkx, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 36975)

A 70-year-old female presents with right shoulder pain and the inability to adduct her arm after she fell on the sidewalk. You obtain shoulder x-rays and see the following images (Image 1: AP, scapular Y, and axillary views of the right shoulder. Author’s own images).

A 45-year-old male presents with left foot pain and deformity after he inverted his foot while running on uneven pavement. You obtain foot and ankle x-rays and see the following images (Image 1. AP and lateral views of the left foot. Author’s own images).