The Use of a Suprascapular Nerve Block to Facilitate the Reduction of an Anterior Shoulder Dislocation: An Alternative for Elderly and Patients With Cardiopulmonary Comorbidities?

Authors

• Getaw Worku Hassen, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.Follow
• Dahlia Bergmann-Dumont, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Anisha Duvvi, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Samantha Sudol, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Danny Choy, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Theresa Yeo, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Avinash Viswanath, Department of Emergency Medicine, Harlem Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Estrella Roffe, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Cei Lim Kim, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Ali Elnatour, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Mauricio Gonzalez Arias, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.
• Hossein Kalantari, Department of Emergency Medicine, New York Medical College (NYMC), Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York, New York.

Author Type(s)

Faculty

DOI

10.1016/j.jemermed.2022.04.010

Journal Title

The Journal of Emergency Medicine

First Page

265

Last Page

271

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-1-2022

Department

Emergency Medicine

Keywords

shoulder dislocation, suprascapular nerve block

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Anterior shoulder dislocation is a common presentation to the emergency department (ED). Dislocations are spontaneous or traumatic. Generally, a reduction is performed under procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA). Other approaches include the use of intra-articular lidocaine or, in rare instances, nerve blocks. Here we discuss the case of a 66-year-old female patient who presented with left shoulder pain and limited range of motion after a fall. After discussing potential treatment options to reduce the dislocation, the patient agreed to a nerve block. DISCUSSION: The dislocation was reduced successfully with a suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) without complications. The duration of the patient's ED stay was shorter than those who had received PSA. CONCLUSIONS: SSNB could be an alternative method for shoulder dislocation reduction, particularly for patients who are obese, older, or have cardiopulmonary comorbidities.

Recommended Citation

Hassen, G. W., Bergmann-Dumont, D., Duvvi, A., Sudol, S., Choy, D., Yeo, T., Viswanath, A., Roffe, E., Kim, C. L., Elnatour, A., Arias, M. G., & Kalantari, H. (2022). The Use of a Suprascapular Nerve Block to Facilitate the Reduction of an Anterior Shoulder Dislocation: An Alternative for Elderly and Patients With Cardiopulmonary Comorbidities?. The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 63 (2), 265-271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jemermed.2022.04.010