Point of care ultrasound is an important tool for diagnosis of musculoskeletal and vascular pathology in patients presenting to the emergency department. Superficial vascular and soft tissue structures are well-visualized at the bedside using modern ultrasound systems and have image characteristics that can be rapidly identified. This report describes the use of point of care ultrasound to distinguish between rapidly progressive soft tissue infection and vascular injury following penetrating trauma from a cat scratch. Ultrasound allowed the physician to rapidly make accurate decisions about the next necessary steps in the patient’s care. Point of care ultrasound provides immediate diagnostic information to supplement indeterminate physical examination findings. In this case, it allowed the treating physician to make the diagnosis of arterial injury using ultrasound image characteristics. An integrative approach to ultrasonography of superficial musculoskeletal and vascular structures could enhance clinical decision making and improve care of patients with similar complaints.

Abdominal pain is one of the most common presenting chief complaints in the emergency department. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is an ultrasound-guided nerve block with proven effectiveness in treating visceral and somatic abdominal pain. Despite the increasing popularity of ESPB, its role in the management of nonsurgical abdominal pain has not yet been characterized. Our scoping review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the safety and efficacy of ESPB in the management of patients experiencing intractable, nonsurgical abdominal pain. We searched PubMed and Scopus to evaluate the existing literature on ESPB for nonsurgical abdominal pain. A total of 14 journal articles were included: 12 case-based studies, one systematic review, and one narrative review. All cases described the successful use of ESPB in treating abdominal pain refractory to oral or intravenous analgesic medications, and no complications were reported in any cases. This scoping review provides support for the use of ESPB to manage intractable, nonsurgical abdominal pain. ESPB has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating various conditions such as functional abdominal pain, renal colic, pancreatitis, herpetic pain, and cancer-related pain. Theoretical risks such as pneumothorax, bleeding, and infection are possible, although the studies reviewed did not report such complications.

Abdominal pain is one of the most common presenting chief complaints in the emergency department. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is an ultrasound-guided nerve block with proven effectiveness in treating visceral and somatic abdominal pain. Despite the increasing popularity of ESPB, its role in the management of nonsurgical abdominal pain has not yet been characterized. Our scoping review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the safety and efficacy of ESPB in the management of patients experiencing intractable, nonsurgical abdominal pain. We searched PubMed and Scopus to evaluate the existing literature on ESPB for nonsurgical abdominal pain. A total of 14 journal articles were included: 12 case-based studies, one systematic review, and one narrative review. All cases described the successful use of ESPB in treating abdominal pain refractory to oral or intravenous analgesic medications, and no complications were reported in any cases. This scoping review provides support for the use of ESPB to manage intractable, nonsurgical abdominal pain. ESPB has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating various conditions such as functional abdominal pain, renal colic, pancreatitis, herpetic pain, and cancer-related pain. Theoretical risks such as pneumothorax, bleeding, and infection are possible, although the studies reviewed did not report such complications.

Abdominal pain is one of the most common presenting chief complaints in the emergency department. Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is an ultrasound-guided nerve block with proven effectiveness in treating visceral and somatic abdominal pain. Despite the increasing popularity of ESPB, its role in the management of nonsurgical abdominal pain has not yet been characterized. Our scoping review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the safety and efficacy of ESPB in the management of patients experiencing intractable, nonsurgical abdominal pain. We searched PubMed and Scopus to evaluate the existing literature on ESPB for nonsurgical abdominal pain. A total of 14 journal articles were included: 12 case-based studies, one systematic review, and one narrative review. All cases described the successful use of ESPB in treating abdominal pain refractory to oral or intravenous analgesic medications, and no complications were reported in any cases. This scoping review provides support for the use of ESPB to manage intractable, nonsurgical abdominal pain. ESPB has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating various conditions such as functional abdominal pain, renal colic, pancreatitis, herpetic pain, and cancer-related pain. Theoretical risks such as pneumothorax, bleeding, and infection are possible, although the studies reviewed did not report such complications.