Iliaca Fascia Blocks for Pre-op Pain Management in Hip Fractures

Hip and proximal femur fractures are becoming increasingly common, especially as our population ages. Patients who have suffered a hip or proximal femur fracture can expect to experience pain. Each patient's level of pain is unique but has historically been managed with opioids. There has been much attention paid lately to the opioid crisis and the need to reduce consumption. Most patients at risk for hip and proximal femur fracture are the elderly. With this population, the need to prevent delirium is imperative. Delirium in this population will increase the length of stay and add to increased morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this review article is to show the benefits of using iliaca fascia blocks at first presentation and also that the iliaca fascia block can be performed by any number of stakeholders involved in the care of hip fracture patients.