Point-of-Care Ultrasound-Guided Serratus Anterior Plane Block for Chest Tube Placement in a Spontaneous Pneumothorax

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2022 Aug 1;38(8):406-408. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000002663. Epub 2022 Feb 21.

Abstract

Chest tube placement is a common procedure in the pediatric emergency department. There is general emergency medicine literature as well as pediatric cardiac surgery literature supporting the use of an ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block for regional anesthesia with no prior pediatric emergency medicine studies to our knowledge. This case describes a pediatric patient who required chest tube placement twice for a pneumothorax and describes his preference for the nerve block over the more commonly used procedural sedation.

MeSH terms

  • Chest Tubes
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Nerve Block* / methods
  • Pneumothorax* / diagnostic imaging
  • Pneumothorax* / surgery
  • Point-of-Care Systems
  • Ultrasonography, Interventional / methods