Risikofaktoren für Missbrauch und Abhängigkeit bei der Opioidtherapie chronischer nicht-tumorbedingter Schmerzen

Impact of a multidisciplinary pain program for the management of chronic low back pain in patients undergoing spine surgery and primary total hip replacement: a retrospective cohort study

Background

Low back pain is a very common disorder. In this field chronic low back pain represents a special challenge. The management of chronic low back pain consists of a range of different intervention strategies. Usually operative intervention should be avoided if possible. However, there are constellations were surgical therapy in patients with chronic low back pain seems to be meaningful.

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical outcomes after spine surgery and hip replacement in patients with chronic low back pain after undergoing a structured rehabilitation program including cognitive – behavioral therapy.

Methods

From January 1, 2007 to January 1, 2010 patients were indicated for total hip replacement (THA) or spine surgery after receiving inpatient multidisciplinary pain programs including cognitive – behavioral therapy at our orthopedic institute with a specialized unit for the rehabilitation of chronic pain patients. Indications for surgery were based on the synopsis of clinical and imaging findings and on positive effects after local injections during the multidisciplinary pain program. The tools for assessment included follow-up at 6 and 12 months and analyses of pain, chronicity, physical functioning and depression.

Results

Of the 256 patients admitted for multidisciplinary pain program, fifteen were indicated to benefit from a surgical intervention during multidisciplinary pain program. Ten patients received spine surgery. THA was indicated in five patients. In all cases, the peri- and postoperative clinical courses were uneventful. Only two of the patients subjected to spine surgery and three patients who had THA were improved after 12 months. One patient reported a worsened condition. All patients presented with good functional outcomes and normal radiological findings.

Conclusions

The indication for surgical intervention in patients with chronic low back pain and degenerative diseases must be critically assessed. THA in this cohort should focus on functional aspects, such as the improvement of range of motion, rather than the reduction of pain. Spine surgery in chronic low back pain patients after multidisciplinary pain program including cognitive – behavioral therapy cannot be recommended due to its questionable success.

[Perioperative analgesia for opioid tolerant patients]

In this review article the special anesthesiological problems of opioid tolerance and surgical interventions will be presented. These affect patients with a long-term opioid therapy of chronic pain, addicts with long-term substitution therapy and addicts with current or previous heroin addiction ("clean"). For all patient groups a guarantee of continuous and adequate analgesia (avoidance of fear and increasing patient compliance), exploiting suitable regional anesthesia or regional analgesia procedures when possible, and prevention of a physical opioid withdrawal syndrome have utmost priority. The necessary optimization of perioperative pain therapy only succeeds when based on a thorough preoperative examination of the clinical history which subtly inquires into the drug taking habits with respect to opioids and associated medications. Systemic and/or regional analgesia procedures are possible. Regional procedures are more effective for analgesia. Systemic analgesia procedures do not basically differ from those routinely used for patients without opioid tolerance. However, higher doses of opioids are necessary as well as individual titration according to needs. Special conditions apply to patients previously addicted to opioids (clean) when they are to be operated on. Non-opioids are sufficiently effective for low level pain and opiates can be avoided. Opioid therapy with inclusion of a non-opioid is necessary following major operations or for severe postoperative pain, even as i.v. patient-controlled analgesia (i.v. PCA) if needed. For these patients a relapse to addiction can be provoked by insufficient administration of analgesics, not by pain management including opioids.

Langfristige Effekte von Opioiden bei Patienten mit chronischen nicht-tumorbedingten Schmerzen

A total of 121 patients with at least a 3-year history of opioid use were evaluated by a standardized interview during a clinical visit or telephone call. Assessed items were the present and former drug medication, daily doses, withdrawals, contentment with the treatment, positive/negative treatment effects, average/maximum pain and others.

STATISTICS

chi(2), ANCOVA and survival analysis. Of 121 patients (frequency of withdrawal 14.8% mainly due to lack of efficacy) with an average treatment time of 66 months (37-105 months; 80,264 days; 87% more than 5 years), 103 (85%) still took an opioid step II or III according to the WHO analgesic ladder. Patients further treated in the pain clinic stopped significantly less frequently than patients treated by GPs or other non-specialised physicians (5 versus 23%). Patients with long-term opioid intake revealed significantly lower pain intensity and higher contentment with the pain management and achieved improvement (global, quality of life and physical state). Changes of opioid dosages during the 5 years were inconsistent (no change 33%, decrease 16%, slight increase 27%, high increase 19%). However, the number of patients with high dose increased from 6 to 23 due to significant loss of efficacy (proved in the morphine subgroup, p<0.05). The survey demonstrates a very low frequency of withdrawal in patients with long-term opioid medication after initial response without evidence for tolerance development, especially if their treatment is controlled in a pain centre.