Pain relief for femur fractures using Fascia Iliaca Block and IV fentanyl

Proximal femur fractures cause severe pain making spinal anesthesia positioning difficult. Therefore, it is of interest to compare ultrasound-guided Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block (F.I.C.B) with IV fentanyl for pain relief. 100 American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) I/II patients were randomly divided into two groups, receiving either Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block (30 ml 0.25% bupivacaine) or IV fentanyl (1 mcg/kg). Visual analog scale (VAS) scores were similar at baseline but significantly lower in Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block group during positioning (2.38 ± 0.49 vs 4.34 ± 0.72, p < 0.0001). Further, Fascia Iliaca Compartment Block also led to faster spinal anesthesia (6.21 ± 0.86 vs 6.96 ± 0.2 min, p < 0.0001) and longer pain relief (4.72 ± 0.78 vs 2.7 ± 0.76 hrs, p < 0.0001) with stable vitals and no significant difference in side effects.