Erector Spinae Plane Block vs. Usual Care for ED Patients With Mechanical Back Pain

Island Health

Status: Completed

Conditions: Back Pain

Treatments: Drug: Usual care; Procedure: Erector Spinae plane block using 20 ml of bupivicaine 0.25%

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05982483

C2018-102

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare the Erector Spinae plane (ESP) block, a nerve block, to usual care in emergency department patients with back pain. The main question it aims to answer:

Is the ESP block superior to usual care in the treatment of back pain in the emergency department? Participants will be randomly assigned to the ESP or the usual care group. Pain improvement at the time of emergency department discharge will be compared.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion Criteria: Patients deemed to have mechanical back pain with a component of paravertebral tenderness or paravertebral spasm reported by the patient or noted on examination by treating physician.

Exclusion Criteria:

• previous recipient of erector spinae plane block
• exam concerning for cauda equina syndrome
• current IV drug use
• organ transplant recipient
• history of or suspected bleeding diathesis
• current use of anticoagulants
• sepsis or soft tissue infection at site of the block within last three months
• pregnancy
• overt malignancy involving skin or underlying soft tissue at the site of block
• allergy to any of the research medications
• inability to participate in telephone follow-up

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

ESP cohort

Experimental group

Description:

Randomized to receive the ultrasound-guided ESP block.

Treatment:

Procedure: Erector Spinae plane block using 20 ml of bupivicaine 0.25%

Usual care cohort

Active Comparator group

Description:

Randomized to usual care as dictated by the treating emergency physician

Treatment:

Drug: Usual care