Fall Risk Associated with Continuous Peripheral Nerve Blocks Following Knee and Hip Arthroplasty

Area of Science:

• Anesthesiology
• Orthopedics
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Continuous peripheral nerve blocks (CPNBs) combined with advanced pharmaceutical agents and pump delivery systems offer significant pain management benefits for patients undergoing joint arthroplasty.
• These CPNB programs aim to enhance post-operative recovery and patient comfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document the incidence of falls in patients undergoing knee and hip arthroplasty following the implementation of a CPNB program.
• To assess the safety implications of CPNB programs in a major academic medical center.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of patient data before and after CPNB program implementation.
• Focus on joint arthroplasty procedures (knee and hip).
• Data collection on fall incidence as a primary outcome measure.

Main Results:

• An increase in the incidence of falls was observed after the introduction of the CPNB program.
• The study specifically tracked falls in patients receiving CPNBs for knee and hip arthroplasty.

Conclusions:

• While CPNBs offer pain management advantages, their implementation may be associated with an increased risk of patient falls.
• Further investigation is warranted to understand and mitigate fall risks associated with CPNB programs in arthroplasty patients.