Does Early Administration of Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia for Long Bone Fractures Effect Long Term Patient Opioid Usage

Administration of ultrasound guided peripheral nerve blocks is a procedural skill set that falls within the scope of Emergency Medicine practice. Extrapolating evidence from Anesthesia and Orthopedic literature (which shows decreased post-operative opioid use by surgical patients who receive regional anesthesia as part of their pre and perioperative pain management strategy) the investigators believe that early administration of regional anesthesia for long bone fractures by providers in the ED may have an as of yet unidentified positive impact on long term opioid use. If this is indeed found to be the case, early administration of regional anesthesia for extremity fractures would represent an area of focus for ED providers in the national effort by the medical community to combat opioid abuse.