Twelve chest trauma patients with severe pain were studied. All of them had multiple rib fractures, hemopneumothorax or pulmonary contusion, and needed the continuous chest drainage. 16 G epidural block catheter was introduced 20 cm into the apex of the pleural space. Furthermore, another catheter
Interpleural block (IPB) was compared with epidural block (EB) in 17 adults with unilateral multiple rib fractures and hemopneumothorax. The study was a randomized, crossover, before-after trial on the first and second hospital days. An IPB catheter was inserted along with a chest tube, and an upper