Nerve Block for Severe Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department

Currently, the standard treatment of nonsurgical abdominal pain in the Emergency Department (ED) includes narcotic pain medication. This can be addictive and contributes to the current opioid epidemic. Recent studies have shown that the Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) is an alternative approach to achieving abdominal analgesia without the use of any systemic pain medications. It is a regional nerve block that can be used by emergency medicine physicians by injecting anesthetic into the erector spinae plane under ultrasound guidance, which effectively anesthetizes the abdomen. This procedure is within the scope of practice of Emergency Medicine residents, fellows, and attendings who have received training in Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) and who have also received specialized training on how to perform the ESPB under ultrasound guidance. Adult patients will be screened for intractable abdominal pain (persistent pain despite systemic pain medications) and eligibility to receive the nerve block (for example, patients cannot be pregnant, must be able to verbalize pain and satisfaction scores, and must have no contraindication to receiving the nerve block). In this study, the investigators will perform a small pilot study to determine how effective the ESPB is compared to systemic pain medications, and how easy or difficult it is to perform the ESPB in the Emergency Department as a means of controlling abdominal pain.

This study takes an effectiveness-implementation Hybrid Type 2 trial design with a dual purpose: (i) to examine the effectiveness of the Erector Spinae Plane Block (ESPB) compared to standard systemic pain medication in patients with intractable, nonsurgical abdominal pain in the Emergency Department (ED); and (ii) to qualitatively analyze the feasibility of implementing the ESPB in the Emergency Department as a means of controlling abdominal pain. The investigators hypothesize that patients with intractable, nonsurgical abdominal pain who receive the ESPB will have non-inferior pain scores compared to patients who receive systemic pain medications. The investigators further hypothesize that patients who receive the ESPB will require fewer Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) to achieve abdominal pain control than patients who do not receive the ESPB. The investigators aim to identify potential challenges that could affect the feasibility of implementing the ESPB in the Emergency Department setting, such as time constraints, lack of provider willingness to perform the block, lack of patient willingness to receive the block, and difficulty finding the appropriate supplies.