TAP Blocks Better for Emergency Laparotomy Pain Management

Objective: To determine if transverse abdominis plane (TAP) blocks are associated with lower postoperative narcotic requirements for patients undergoing emergent laparotomy. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years who underwent an emergency laparotomy were categorized into the TAP block and the no-TAP block groups. Patients who had a protocolized TAP block at the end of the procedure were compared to a period before the protocol where no-TAP blocks were administered. Patients who were left intubated or had an open abdomen were excluded. Patient demographics, comorbidities, substance use disorder, mechanism of injury, and injury severity in trauma patients were collected. Opioid consumption was quantified in total morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs), and it was dichotomized as ≥20 MME/day. Multivariate regression analysis adjusted for patient demographics and injury severity. Results: There were 110 patients in the TAP group and 109 in the no-TAP g more...