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First Online: 31 March 2020

Compliance with Ethical Standards

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: Jessica A. Lovich-Sapola, Jonathan A. Alter, and Holger M. Baumann declare that they have no conflict of interest.

: This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.There are often special considerations for the trauma burn patient in regard to informed consent. The risk factor that is most predictive of the development of chronic pain is the intensity of the acute pain at the time of the injury [CitationRef removed]. The burn patient may have associated brain injury, emotional distress, distracting painful injuries, and chemical impairment that may alter the patient’s ability to participate in decision making; therefore, obtaining an informed consent may be difficult or impossible [CitationRef removed•].Possible scenarios where the placement of a regional catheter or single-shot nerve block for compassionate use would be indicated, prior to the ability to obtain informed consent include:•Burn amputation•Large second or third degree burn•Associated injury in addition to the burn (fractures)•Large area of STSG donor siteAttempts to obtain a formal consent from the family or the patient at a later time are done when able. This early placement of a regional anesthetic helps to prevent long term hyperalgesia and increasing opioid requirements.The placement of the regional block in the confused, agitated, or severely injured patient may require mild sedation to aid in the cooperation and improve the ease of placement.