Spica Casting of Pediatric Femur Fractures: The Pain Management Experience at One Institution

Objectives Currently, very little literature exists regarding the "fifth vital sign" in pediatric orthopedics, pain. Multiple studies have highlighted the utility of non-narcotic pain medications in treating acute pain. The objective of this study is to determine the type and amount of pain medication(s) administered and subsequently prescribed to pediatric patients ages six months to five years old with femur fractures treated with spica casting in the ER (emergency room) and OR (operative room). We also determined the incidence of spica cast change necessary for the two groups as a secondary outcome. Methods A retrospective review was completed at a single level 1 pediatric trauma center, evaluating 82 patients who met the inclusion criteria between six months to five years of age with isolated femoral shaft fractures requiring intervention at one institution. Descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon Rank-Sum or Fisher'sFisher's Exact test were used to assess differences between OR and ER groups for either continuous or categorical variables, respectively. The electronic medical record was then queried for demographic information, location of spica cast placement, hours in the hospital, and amount and type of analgesic medications administered and prescribed. Results Overall, we noted a preponderance of femur fractures in young males (72%), with the mean age of our cohort being 2.3 years old. Our patients spent a median of 20.9 hours in the hospital and had a median worst pain score of 7/10 during their hospital stay. No difference was found between standardized amounts of morphine equivalent administration between groups in the hospital. Upon discharge from the hospital, most patients received opioid and acetaminophen prescriptions (72% and 83%), but few received an ibuprofen prescription (24.4%). More spica casts placed in the ER needed to be revised in the OR compared to spica casts placed in the OR (57% vs. 8%, p<0.01). Conclusions There are various medication regimens for patients with femoral shaft fractures treated with spica casting at one institution. Our study revealed that patients received more prescription opioids if treated in the OR. Additionally, spica casting in the ER did not significantly decrease hospital stay, and it significantly increased the risk of needing a reduction in the OR in our institution.