Exparel for Pain Control During Care of Rib Fractures

Rib fractures are common in patients who have suffered a traumatic injury, occurring in about 10% of general injury cases and in about 30% of cases where the injury is directly to the chest. Usually caused by injury to the chest wall, rib fractures most often occur where the ribs bend and are most fragile. These kinds of injuries are commonly caused by motor vehicle collisions, falls, assault, industrial accidents, gunshots, or repetitive causes such as severe coughing or use-injury in athletes. With any of these types of injury, the first concern of the physician is to repair any immediate damage to the chest wall (such as penetrating wounds, air or blood in the chest cavity that compresses the lung(s), or fixing the broken ribs in place). Once these injuries are repaired and stabilized, the patient's care consists of controlling their pain and helping them recover normal breathing ability.

In patients who are not admitted to the hospital for care, usually with only 1 or 2 ribs broken, care is often pain control using over the counter medicines like Tylenol or Ibuprofen (called NSAIDS) or prescription medicines like hydrocodone (Vicodin®). The main concern during follow-up of these patients is full recovery of pain-free breathing ability. In patients who are admitted to the hospital for treatment, pneumonia is the most common complication associated with multiple broken ribs. Pneumonia occurs in anywhere from 15% to 30% of these patients. For long-acting pain control to help them breathe more easily, studies have shown that epidural analgesia (pain relieving drugs delivered through a thin tube called a catheter into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord) is preferable over opioids, whether given in pill form or through an IV. Additional studies have shown better results with epidural pain control compared to opioid or NSAID use. However, with all of these methods come risks and side effects.

Using oral NSAIDs can result in stomach irritation, kidney injury, or can interfere with the body's ability to form blood clots. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) has been shown to be toxic to the liver at higher doses. Opioid use can lower a person's breathing ability even while it reduces their pain, which is not wanted in patients already at higher risk for pneumonia. Epidural placement is a complex procedure, risks infection at the site of catheter insertion, can cause itching, and risks injury to both the spinal cord and the membrane surrounding it (the dura).