Ultrasound-guided TAP block: A promising strategy for managing acute pancreatitis pain in a prospective...

To evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block for acute pain management in patients with acute pancreatitis in the emergency department, focusing on pain relief, opioid use, and hospital stay.

This prospective, non-randomized, interventional, single-center study was conducted in the emergency department of a tertiary university hospital. Adult patients diagnosed with acute pancreatitis were enrolled and divided into two treatment groups: one treated with TAP block and opioids, the other with opioids only. The primary outcome was pain score reduction over 24 h. Secondary outcomes included total opioid consumption (in morphine equivalents) and hospital stay duration.

A total of 56 patients were included, with 28 patients in each group. The TAP + opioid group demonstrated significantly lower Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores at all follow-up time points (1, 6, 12, and 24 h; all p < 0.001). Mean opioid consumption was 6.43 ± 2.58 mg in the TAP group and 12.59 ± 4.93 mg in the opioid-only group (p < 0.001). The mean hospital stay was also significantly shorter in the TAP group (5.00 ± 2.16 days vs. 6.71 ± 2.31 days; p = 0.006), with the most pronounced effect seen in biliary pancreatitis (p = 0.020). No TAP-related complications were reported.

Ultrasound-guided TAP block appears to be a safe and effective analgesic modality in the emergency management of acute pancreatitis, offering early pain relief, reduced opioid requirements, and shorter hospitalization. These findings support its integration into multimodal pain management strategies. Further multicenter randomized trials are warranted.