Sciatic nerve block in prehospital care

Evaluate the analgesic efficiency of the sciatic nerve block in prehospital care at the time of some severe legs or feet traumas. Retrospective, monocentric study upon a period of time 1998-2008. Twenty-three sciatic nerve blocks have been colligated, five by upper way and heighten by lateral popliteal lower way among which fourteen without neurostimulator. The pain decrease evaluated by the EVS at T0 (before block), T1 (10 min after block) and T2 (arriving in emergency department), has been significative, whatever the measure time interval (T0-T1, T0-T2, T1-T2), the ways used and the local anaesthetics given. The analgesia installation was faster when approaching the sciatic nerve block by the upper way and when using a neurostimulator. Only one analgesic failure was observed while doing a lateral popliteal way without neurostimulator. Any complication was reported. The sciatic nerve block done in prehospital shows a significant analgesic efficiency which would worth a deeper evaluation and a thought on its introduction in the ED physician's therapeutic gear.