RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To compare length of stay (LOS) for paediatric patients receiving ketamine sedation or Bier's block anaesthesia for procedural closed fracture reduction. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective audit of paediatric ED patients aged 3-18 years presenting at one of three metropolitan hospitals in Victoria, Australia (2012-2017). Outcomes were post-procedural LOS (PPLOS), total LOS, incidence of ketamine and Bier's block procedures, and recorded adverse effects. Groups were compared using t-tests. Association between treatment group and admission to a short stay unit (SSU) was assessed using univariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Across all three sites, 449 patients were included, 379 of whom received ketamine sedation and 73 of whom underwent Bier's block anaesthesia. Mean age was 9.1 years (ketamine group: 8.3 years; Bier's block group: 13.1 years). Median PPLOS was 75 min shorter for patients who received a Bier's block than for those sedated with ketamine (P < 0.001). Patients sedated with ketamine were also 9.01 times more likely to be admitted to an SSU than those who received Bier's block anaesthesia (95% confidence interval 3.82-21.31, P < 0.001). Ketamine sedation was more common than Bier's block across the three sites. No major adverse events occurred in either group. CONCLUSION: Bier's block anaesthesia is a safe alternative to ketamine sedation for paediatric patients presenting to the ED with closed fractures. It is associated with reduced LOS and need for post-procedural observation. However, ketamine may remain preferable for younger paediatric patients, on whom it places fewer demands for cooperation.
