Effectiveness of intercostal nerve block for management of pain in rib fracture patients

Controlling pain in patients with fractured ribs is essential for preventing secondary complications. Conventional medications that are administered orally or by using injections are sufficient for the treatment of most patients. However, additional aggressive pain control measures are needed for patients whose pain cannot be controlled effectively as well as for those in whom complications or a transition to chronic pain needs to be prevented. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients in our hospital to identify the efficacy and characteristics of intercostal nerve block (ICNB), as a pain control method for rib fractures. Although ICNB, compared to conventional methods, showed dramatic pain reduction immediately after the procedure, the pain control effects decreased over time. These findings suggest that the use of additional pain control methods (e.g. intravenous patient-controlled analgesia and/or a fentanyl patch) is recommended for patients in who the pain level increases as the ICNB efficacy decreases.