ArticleBMJ open2026
Effect of early analgesia with erector spinae plane block to reduce ventilation after severe chest trauma: the multicentre randomised controlled TARGET study protocol.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05920109 (EffecT of eARly analGesia With Erector Spinae Plane Block to Reduce Ventilation After Severe Chest Trauma), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
EffecT of eARly analGesia With Erector Spinae Plane Block to Reduce Ventilation After Severe Chest Trauma: a Randomised Control Open-label Trial.
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionBlunt chest trauma is frequently associated with rib fractures, and inadequate pain control may lead to respiratory complications and prolonged ventilatory support. In spontaneously breathing patients, pain impairs coughing and secretion clearance, promoting atelectasis and respiratory failure, while in mechanically ventilated patients, it may delay weaning. Current French guidelines recommend intravenous multimodal analgesia as first-line therapy followed by thoracic epidural or paravertebral block if pain remains uncontrolled. However, these techniques have limited applicability in the trauma setting. The erector spinae plane (ESP) block is a simpler ultrasound-guided regional analgesia technique with fewer contraindications. Although retrospective data suggest potential respiratory benefits, its efficacy has not been evaluated in randomised controlled trials. This study aims to assess whether early initiation of a continuous ESP block reduces ventilatory support duration after blunt chest trauma. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The EffecT of eARly analGesia with ErecTor spinae plane block (TARGET) trial is a multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial including adult patients (≥18 years) with blunt chest trauma and at least three rib fractures on thoracic CT scan requiring intensive care unit admission. Participants are randomised to receive either early continuous ESP block initiated within 6 hours of admission or standard intravenous multimodal analgesia with escalation to thoracic epidural or paravertebral block if indicated. The primary outcome is the number of days alive and free from invasive or non-invasive curative ventilation within 30 days after randomisation or hospital discharge. Randomisation is stratified by centre and age (<65 or ≥65 years). Investigators and outcome assessors are not blinded. A total of 400 patients will be included. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study has been approved by the ethics committee
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05920109.
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