Effect of celecoxib and dexamethasone on postoperative pain after lumbar disc surgery

Effect of high-dose intravenous dexamethasone on postlumbar discectomy pain

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective, randomized triple-blind clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of 40 and 80 mg intravenous (IV) dexamethasone versus placebo to reduce postlumbar diskectomy pain.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Lumbar discectomy is a procedure to ablate radicular and low pack pain (LBP) in select patients. Unfortunately, some patients have radicular pain for several days after successful surgery, possibly caused by nerve root inflammation.

METHODS

A total of 61 patients with single-level herniated lumbar disc at L4-L5 or L5-S1 were randomly assigned to 3 groups. After the skin incision, group 1 received 40 mg, group 2 received 80 mg IV dexamethasone, and group 3 received placebo. All patients also received 50 mg ranitidine IV at the same time. Preoperative and postoperative radicular and LBP were evaluated using the visual analog scale. Morphine was administered and recorded as a sole pain-killer during hospital admission if indicated. Collected data were analyzed using the 1-way analysis of variance test.

RESULTS

A total of 61 consecutive patients entered the study. There were 19 patients who received 40 mg dexamethasone IV (group 1), 20 received 80 mg (group 2), and 22 received placebo (group 3). Preoperative data, including age, sex, level of disc herniation, and radicular and LBP, were statistically matched among groups. Postoperative LBP was decreased in all groups equally. Based on the visual analog scale, mean radicular pain was significantly decreased 4.26 points in group 1, 4.15 points in group 2 versus 2.73 points in group 3 (P = 0.006). Mean total morphine used was also significantly lower in group 1 versus group 3 (5.26 vs. 9 mg P = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative IV injection of 40 mg dexamethasone could effectively reduce postoperative radicular leg pain and narcotics usage in patients with single-level herniated lumbar disc.

The Efficacy of the Non-Opioid Analgesics Parecoxib, Paracetamol and Metamizol for Postoperative Pain Relief After Lumbar Microdiscectomy

In this prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study we compared the efficacy of three IV non-opioid analgesics for postoperative pain relief after lumbar microdiscectomy. Eighty healthy patients were randomly divided into 4 treatment groups (n = 20 each) to receive either parecoxib 40 mg, paracetamol 1 g, metamizol 1 g, or placebo IV 45 min before the end of surgery. In the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) patients were treated using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with piritramide. In the metamizol group the pain score at arrival in the PACU was significantly lower compared with the paracetamol, parecoxib, and placebo groups. In addition, in the metamizol group significantly fewer patients required additional PCA compared with the other groups studied. However, in those patients who required additional pain therapy in the four treatment groups, there was no significant difference in time to first request for piritramide and cumulative consumption of piritramide as assessed by the PCA data in the PACU. The incidence of adverse side effects was infrequent in all groups. These results suggest that in patients undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy, metamizol is superior to parecoxib, paracetamol, and placebo for immediate postoperative pain relief with minimal side effects.

Efficacy and safety of steroid use for postoperative pain relief. Update and review of the medical literature

Despite the availability of various analgesic regimens, patient surveys have indicated that moderate-to-severe postoperative pain is still poorly managed. The use of corticosteroids for postoperative pain relief, although popular, has yet to gain wider acceptance because of concerns over side effects, in particular adrenal suppression, osteonecrosis, impaired wound-healing, and concerns about efficacy. The medical literature provides evidence that should substantially decrease these concerns with regard to low and short-dose applications. The results of randomized trials have shown low, short-dose corticosteroid regimens to be safe and effective for reducing postoperative pain. There is strong, grade-A evidence supporting the use of corticosteroids in multimodal analgesia protocols to contribute to the postoperative recovery of the patient by minimizing opioid doses and therefore side effects. However, the optimal mode, dose, and timing of administration remain unclear.

Effect of preoperative Cox-II-selective NSAIDs (coxibs) on postoperative outcomes: a systematic review of randomized studies

BACKGROUND

Preoperative use of coxibs has been claimed to reduce postoperative pain and analgesic consumption, and to affect other postoperative outcomes.

METHODS

Systematic review of randomized trials comparing preoperative coxib with preoperative placebo, or active comparator. Searching of PubMed and Cochrane Library to August 2004. A qualitative and a quantitative analysis.

RESULTS

Twenty-two included trials with 2246 patients had high reporting quality and validity scores, though treatment group sizes were small, with a median size of 30 patients. Most trials used oral preoperative rofecoxib (mainly 50 mg) or celecoxib (mainly 200 mg). Preoperative coxibs significantly reduced both postoperative pain and analgesic consumption compared with preoperative placebo in 15/20 trials. In one further trial postoperative pain was reduced and in one analgesic consumption. There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting in 13/17 studies or when data were pooled. Postoperative antiemetic use was significantly reduced in all five trials reporting it; the NNT to prevent one patient using postoperative antiemetic was 10 (5.5 to 66). No trial reported any significant difference in intraoperative blood loss or recovery from anaesthesia. Patient satisfaction was significantly increased with preoperative coxib use. No conclusions could be drawn from the three trials comparing preoperative coxib with preoperative NSAID. One study reported significantly improved cost-efficacy with rofecoxib.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative coxibs had clear benefits in terms of reduced postoperative pain, analgesic consumption and patient satisfaction compared with placebo. Effects on postoperative nausea and vomiting remain uncertain, as do those on recovery from surgery or economic benefit. Future trials should be larger and more pragmatic in nature.

Reduction of opioid-related adverse events using opioid-sparing analgesia with COX-2 inhibitors lacks documentation: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

We have reviewed opioid-related adverse events in studies of opioid sparing with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors compared with placebo in postoperative pain.

METHODS

Randomized, controlled trials were evaluated. Outcome measures were significant reduction in consumption of supplementary opioids with the COX-2 inhibitors and reported opioid-related adverse events (nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness, sedation, pruritus and/or urinary retention) 0-24 h after surgery.

RESULTS

Nineteen studies including 26 comparisons of four COX-2 inhibitors (rofecoxib, celecoxib, parecoxib and valdecoxib) were evaluated, in which significant opioid-sparing averaging about 35% with COX-2 inhibitors and opioid-related adverse events were reported. The trials were in general of high quality (median Oxford quality score 4) but the reporting quality of adverse events was poor. Opioid-related adverse events, i.e. vomiting, constipation and pruritus, were only significantly reduced with COX-2 inhibitors in four of the 26 comparisons. Quantitative analysis of combined data revealed a significantly reduced risk for only dizziness; the clinical relevance was minor as the number needed to treat (NNT) was about 33.

CONCLUSION

The limitation of this review is the lack of quality of data of adverse events from the original trials. Although supplementary opioid consumption in all trials was significantly reduced by on average 35% with the COX-2 inhibitors, it was only sporadically possible to demonstrate a clinically important reduction in opioid-related adverse events. Data did not support the common opinion that opioid-sparing with COX-2 inhibitors provides much clinical beneficial effect with respect to opioid-related adverse events. Future studies have to increase the awareness and proper reporting of adverse events in the postoperative period.