• M J Layzell.
• Acute Pain Service, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bournemouth.
• Nurs Stand. 2013 Aug 28;27(52):49-56; quiz 58.

AbstractHealthcare professionals will be aware of the need to improve treatment of hip fractures, with the ultimate goal of returning the individual to pre-injury health. Patients with hip fractures awaiting surgery can experience severe pain that may be difficult to relieve with traditional analgesics. Physical assessment and essential nursing care require moving the patient, which further increases pain. Nerve blocks have been administered as a form of post-operative pain relief in a variety of surgical procedures, and there is growing interest in the use of femoral nerve blocks in the pre-operative period for patients with hip fractures. This article looks at the prevalence of hip fractures and associated problems. It highlights the importance of effective management of pain and explores the use of local anaesthetics for pain relief.

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