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P124 Usability of thermographic method in detecting successful n.ischiadicus blocks in acute fractures of the lower extremity

rapm · 2025-09-10 · canonical JSON source

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Please confirm that an ethics committee approval has been applied for or granted: Yes: I’m uploading the Ethics Committee Approval as a PDF file with this abstract submissionBackground and Aims Method of thermography has been proven to be useful for confirming the success or failure of for various nerve blocks. However, according to literature, majority of these nerve blocks have been done on elective patients. In our study we wanted to determine, can method of thermography can be used to determine success of a n.ischiadicus blocks in acute lower limb fractures where the initial skin temperature around fracture site is already high?Methods A prospective, randomized research done in the Hospital Of Traumatology and Orthopedics in Riga. In total 48 patients where collected of which 35 were elective and had 13 acute bone fractures. These 13 patients are analyzed further below. All patients recieved N. ischiadicus block in suprapopliteal approach, using ultrasound and nerve stimulator with 3 different local anesthetics in equipotent doses and fixed concentrations- 20 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine, 20 ml of 1% Lidocaine, 20 ml of 0.375% Ropivacaine. Before and for 45 minutes after nerve block for every minute pictures of the blocked foot were taken. Pictures were analysed using HICKMICRO official software program, with statistics done by University of Latvia Statistics Laboratory.Results Due to relatively small sample size, all 13 patients were analyzed as one group. All of these patients had initial temperature of the foot above 32 degrees Celsius. According to Wilcoxon range tests, statistically significant (p<0.05) temperature changes compared to baseline can be observed after 25 minutes.Abstract P124 Table 1Wilcoxon range tests table for acute fracturesAbstract P124 Figure 1Average temperature changes in acute fractures over timeConclusions Although using method of thermography for evaluating success of n.ischiadicus block in acute fractures, where initial temperature of the blocked region exceeds 32 degrees Celsius, showed statistically significant changes after 25 minutes compared to baseline temperature, the changes of temperature in blocked region are relatively small and slow, making them difficult to detect in clinical practice application conditions.