Numbing the burn: A Literature Review of Regional Anaesthesia in Burn Injuries

Carl Gooch¹, Justin Hunt¹,
¹Gold Coast University Hospital, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

Abstract

Purpose
The objective for this literature review is to explore the safety and efficacy of regional anaesthesia in Burn injuries. Burn injuries are some of the most devastating and painful events that are managed in Hospital. Pain management in the acute phase of recovery is essential for patient experience and outcomes. Regional anaesthesia is a modality of pain relief that can be overlooked in the management for these patients.
Methods
A systematic search was completed for this literature review using the databases: PubMed, MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library. Keywords used for the search were “regional anaesthesia”, “burns patients”, “post operative” and “pain”. A total of six studies were included in the final analysis. Data was extracted to determine the efficacy, usage and safety of regional anaesthesia.
Results
The American Burn Association Guidelines have deemed level C evidence for regional anaesthesia in the acute setting. Multiple level 2 and 3 studies showed improved pain relief, patient satisfaction and opioid use reduction without serious risks or complications (Romanowski et al., 2020). Similarly, it has been shown to be cost-effective, reduce side effects and decrease the duration of hospital stays (Grunzweig, 2020).
Conclusion
The use of regional anaesthesia in burn injuries is a valuable, safe and often overlooked treatment in the management of the patient. Improved patient satisfaction, reduced pain scores and decreased opioid usage have been well demonstrated throughout the literature. Despite positive evidence, the use of regional anaesthesia is still underutilised and should be further considered and implemented into clinical practice.

Biography

Dr Carl Gooch is a Resident Medical Officer at the Gold Coast University Hospital. He completed his studies at Bond University finishing in 2021. Since then he has shown particular interest and aspiration in Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine.