New Advances in Acute Postoperative Pain Management

A new long-acting analgesic formulation for postoperative pain management

Local anesthetics (LA), as part of multimodal analgesia, have garnered significant interest for their role in delaying the initiation of opioid therapy, reducing postoperative opioid usage, and mitigating both hospitalization duration and related expenses. Despite numerous endeavors to extend the duration of local anesthetic effects, achieving truly satisfactory long-acting analgesia remains elusive. Drawing upon prior investigations, vesicular phospholipid gels (VPGs) emerge as promising candidates for extended-release modalities in small-molecule drug delivery systems. Therefore, we tried to use the amphiphilicity of phospholipids to co-encapsulate levobupivacaine hydrochloride and meloxicam, two drugs with different hydrophilicity, to obtain a long-term synergistic analgesic effect. Initially, the physicochemical attributes of the formulation were characterized, followed by an examination of its in vitro release kinetics, substantiating the viability of extending the release duration of the dual drugs. Sequentially, in vivo investigations encompassing pharmacokinetic profiling and assessment of analgesic efficacy were undertaken, revealing a prolonged release duration of up to 120 h and attainment of optimal postoperative analgesia. Subsequently, inquiries into the mechanism underlying synergistic analgesic effects and safety evaluations pertinent to the delivery strategy were pursued. In summation, we successfully developed a promising formulation to achieve long-acting analgesia.

A Comparative Analysis of Pain Assessment Methods in the Initial Postoperative Phase Following Different Pilonidal Cyst Surgeries

Background and Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate pain intensity in patients after pilonidal disease surgeries of varying extent using pressure algometry and the visual analog scale and to explore potential correlations between these methods. Materials and Methods: A total of 78 adult patients with symptomatic pilonidal cysts were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into two groups based on the type of surgery assigned to each patient at the pre-hospital consultation: pit-picking surgery (n = 39) and radical excision (n = 39). The pain levels at the surgical site were assessed and compared using the visual analog scale (VAS) and pressure algometry the morning before surgery and the day after the operation. Results: There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in VAS measurement results between surgical groups when comparing pain intensity experienced by patients before, during, and after surgery. Notably, specific pressure algometry variables (pressure pain tolerance left 2.05 ± 1.46 compared to 1.42 ± 0.73 kg/cm2, p = 0.02; maximum pressure pain tolerance left 2.91 ± 1.33 compared to 2.32 ± 1.14 kg/cm2, p = 0.04; maximum pressure pain tolerance center 2.51 ± 1.07 compared to 1.91 ± 0.91 kg/cm2, p = 0.01; interval of pressure pain tolerance center 0.98 ± 0.62 compared to 0.59 ± 0.39 kg/cm2, p = 0.00) on the first postoperative day were significantly lower in the "pit-picking" group compared to the excision group. Furthermore, no statistically significant correlation was found between VAS and pressure algometry measurements either before surgery or on the first postoperative day. Conclusions: In the early postoperative period following pilonidal disease surgery of varying extents, pain measured with the VAS does not differ. In contrast, the pressure algometry method showed greater pain in the minimally invasive surgery cohort on the first postoperative day. However, further larger studies are needed to compare these pain assessment methods in reporting pain intensity experienced during patient movement.

Persistent Opioid Use Following Artificial Urinary Sphincter Placement: A Large Claims Database Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess risk of persistent opioid use and emergency department (ED) and office/outpatient visits following post-operative prescriptions of common opioids in patients following artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) implantation using a nationwide claims database.

METHODS

The TriNetX US Collaborative Network, which encompasses over 115 million patients from 66 healthcare organizations was used to identify males who underwent first-time AUS placement between 2010-2024. Patients with history of opioid dependence/abuse, opioid use within 6 months prior to AUS placement, or surgery within 9 months post-operation were excluded. Patients were distributed into 2 cohorts: those who received opioids post-operatively or those that did not. Cohorts were propensity score matched on demographic characteristics, pain, mental health, and substance-related diagnoses. Primary outcome was risk of persistent opioid use 3-9 months post-operatively. Secondary outcomes included risk of ED or office/outpatient visit 30- and 90-days post-operatively.

RESULTS

Each cohort contained 1036 patients following application of exclusion criteria and propensity score matching. Post-operative Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, or Codeine had a 3-fold increase in risk of persistent opioid use at 3-9 months (15.15% vs 4.92%, RR=3.08, 95% CI=[2.27-4.17]). Risk of ED or office visits was not significantly lower in patients receiving these opioids.

CONCLUSION

Opioid prescriptions following AUS placement increase risk of persistent opioid use without lowering the risk of ED or outpatient visits. These findings highlight the necessity for opioid-sparing approaches to post-operative pain control following AUS placement.

Efficacy and safety of 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-2H-1, 2-benzothiazin-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide, a rapid-acting meloxicam formulation, for analgesia after orthopaedic surgery under general anaesthesia: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pain management is one of the most challenging treatments after orthopaedic surgery, and improved medical treatment options are urgently needed. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 4-hydroxy-2-methyl-N-(5-methyl-2-thiazolyl)-2H-1, 2-benzothiazin-3-carboxamide 1,1-dioxide (QP001) for moderate to severe pain following orthopaedic surgery.

METHODS

This randomized clinical trial enlisted patients experiencing moderate to severe pain following orthopaedic surgery in 20 hospitals in China. We allocated randomly 132 participants to receive 30 mg QP001 and 66 participants to receive 0.9% saline pre-surgery. The primary efficacy outcome was the total morphine consumption within 24 h.

RESULTS

The total morphine consumption in the QP001 group, versus placebo group, was significantly lower over the following 24 h [12.53 (10.51) vs. 26.13 (13.98), P < 0.001]. The total morphine consumption in the QP001 group, versus placebo group, was also significantly decreased over the following 48 h (P < 0.001). The QP001 group, versus placebo, showed a significant decrease in the effective pressing times of the analgesic pump, morphine relief analgesia ratio over the 24 h and 48 h periods and the area under the curve for pain intensity-time as well as a significant prolonged in the time of first pressing the analgesic pump and the time of first morphine rescue analgesia (P < 0.001). The QP001 groups, versus placebo, show no significant difference in adverse events, but the incidence of adverse drug reactions decreased (59.4% vs. 75.8%, P = 0.023).

CONCLUSION

QP001 provides analgesia and reduces opioid consumption in patients with moderate to severe pain after orthopaedic surgery, with a favorable safety profile.

Comparison of the effect of use of preoperative mexiletine tablets and control on reducing postoperative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery

Objective

Postoperative pain is a major concern for patients and healthcare providers following abdominal surgery. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of mexiletine in reducing postoperative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery.

Methods

In this double-blind randomized controlled trial, 34 patients were divided into two groups. One group received 600 mg of mexiletine tablets, while the other group received vitamin C tablets (control) two hours before surgery. Postoperative pain levels were assessed at 6, 12, and 24 h by using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Additionally, the amount of narcotics received within the first 24 h after surgery was recorded.

Results

The results showed that the average postoperative pain score in patients who received mexiletine was significantly lower than in those who received vitamin C tablets (P<0.001). Furthermore, the average amount of narcotics received after surgery was significantly lower in the mexiletine group compared to the control group (P=0.03). Pain scores at 6, 12, and 24 h after surgery were also significantly lower in the mexiletine group (P<0.001).

Conclusion

Mexiletine was effective in reducing postoperative pain and the need for narcotics in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. This study highlights the potential of mexiletine as a valuable preoperative intervention for postoperative pain management.

Application of Integrated Medical Care "Cloud-Based Virtual Ward" Management Model on Postoperative Analgesia: Based on Zigbee Technology

PURPOSE

This study aimed to compare acute care postoperative patients monitored by standard care to those monitored through virtual ward technology by pain team to evaluate status in real-time.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

We included 72,240 and 68,424 postoperative patients who underwent the acute pain service model between January 2021 and April 2022 and the "cloud-based virtual ward" management model between May 2022 and September 2023, respectively. Patients were administered patient-controlled intravenous analgesia after surgery, and we collected perioperative data regarding the general condition, operation type, postoperative moderate-to-severe pain, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, hoarseness, and drowsiness of the patients.

RESULTS

The incidences of moderate-to-severe postoperative pain, postoperative nausea and vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, hoarseness, resting pain, and activity pain were significantly reduced in the "cloud-based virtual ward" management model when compared with the acute pain service model.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to the acute pain service model, the "cloud-based virtual ward" management model can enhance pain management satisfaction and lower the frequency of moderate-to-severe postoperative pain and adverse effects.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The "cloud-based virtual ward" management model proposed in this study may improve the care of patients with acute postoperative pain. By reviewing the two pain management models for postoperative patients, we were able to compare the incidence of postoperative adverse reactions and use the standard process of the integrated medical care "cloud-based virtual ward" management model to optimize the management of postoperative patients and promote their health outcomes.

Construction of injectable micron-sized polymorphic vesicles for prolonged local anesthesia with weekly sustained release of ropivacaine

Currently, to overcome the short half-life of the local anesthetic ropivacaine, drug delivery systems such as nanoparticles and liposomes have been used to prolong the analgesic effect, but they are prone to abrupt release from the site of administration or have poor slow-release effects, which increases the risk of cardiotoxicity. In this study, injectable lipid suspensions based on ropivacaine-docusate sodium hydrophobic ion pairing (HIP) were designed to significantly prolong the duration of analgesia. The resulting ion-paired lipid suspension (HIP/LIPO) had a micrometer scale and a high zeta potential, which facilitates stable in situ retention. The strong interaction between docusate sodium and ropivacaine was verified using thermal and spectroscopic analyses, and the formation of micron-sized polymorphic vesicles was attributed to the mutual stabilizing interactions between ropivacaine-docusate sodium HIP, docusate sodium and lecithin. The HIP/LIPO delivery system could maintain drug release for more than 5 days in vitro and achieve high analgesic efficacy for more than 10 days in vivo, reducing the side effects associated with high drug doses. The stable HIP/LIPO delivery system is a promising strategy that offers a clinically beneficial alternative for postoperative pain management and other diseases.

Integrating mechanistic-based and classification-based concepts into perioperative pain management: an educational guide for acute pain physicians

Chronic pain begins with acute pain. Physicians tend to classify pain by duration (acute vs chronic) and mechanism (nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic). Although this taxonomy may facilitate diagnosis and documentation, such categories are to some degree arbitrary constructs, with significant overlap in terms of mechanisms and treatments. In clinical practice, there are myriad different definitions for chronic pain and a substantial portion of chronic pain involves mixed phenotypes. Classification of pain based on acuity and mechanisms informs management at all levels and constitutes a critical part of guidelines and treatment for chronic pain care. Yet specialty care is often siloed, with advances in understanding lagging years behind in some areas in which these developments should be at the forefront of clinical practice. For example, in perioperative pain management, enhanced recovery protocols are not standardized and tend to drive treatment without consideration of mechanisms, which in many cases may be incongruent with personalized medicine and mechanism-based treatment. In this educational document, we discuss mechanisms and classification of pain as it pertains to commonly performed surgical procedures. Our goal is to provide a clinical reference for the acute pain physician to facilitate pain management decision-making (both diagnosis and therapy) in the perioperative period.

CPL-01, an investigational long-acting ropivacaine, demonstrates safety and efficacy in open inguinal hernia repair

BACKGROUND

There is an unmet medical need for effective nonopioid analgesics that can decrease pain while reducing systemic opioid use. CPL-01, an extended-release injectable formulation of ropivacaine, is designed to safely provide analgesia and reduce or eliminate opioid use in the postoperative period.

METHODS

Subjects undergoing open inguinal hernia with mesh were prospectively randomized to 1 of 3 doses of CPL-01 (10, 20, or 30 ml of 2% CPL-01, n = 14, 12, and 14, respectively), Naropin (150 mg, n = 40), or saline placebo (n = 13) infiltrated into the surgical site prior to closure. Pain and rescue medication usage was assessed, and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) pain scores were adjusted for opioid usage using windowed worst observation carried forward (wWOCF) imputation. The primary efficacy endpoint was the mean area under the curve (AUC) of the NRS pain intensity scores with activity.

RESULTS

Ninety-three subjects were treated, and 91 subjects completed 72 h of post-operative monitoring. Subjects who received the highest dose of CPL-01 in Cohort 3 showed a clinically meaningful reduction in postoperative pain intensity scores, which was the lowest value for any treatment in all cohorts, showing a trend towards statistical significance as compared to the pooled placebo group (p = 0.08), and numerically better than the 40 subjects who received Naropin. Opioid use through 72 h in subjects who received CPL-01 in Cohort 3 was approximately half of that shown in the placebo and Naropin groups; approximately 2/3 of the CPL-01 subjects (9/14) required no opioids at all through the first 72 h after the operation. More CPL-01 subjects avoided severe pain and were ready for discharge earlier than other groups. CPL-01 was safe and well-tolerated, with no clinically meaningful safety signals, and showed predictable and consistent extended-release pharmacokinetics.

CONCLUSION

Results suggest that CPL-01 may be the first long-acting ropivacaine to address postoperative pain while reducing the need for opioids.

Local Magnesium Sulfate Administration Ameliorates Nociception, Peripheral Inflammation, and Spinal Sensitization in a Rat Model of Incisional Pain

OBJECTIVE

Postoperative pain remains one of the most common complaints after surgery, and appropriate treatments are limited.

METHODS

We therefore investigated the effect of the anti-nociceptive properties of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, on incision-induced postoperative pain and peripheral and central nervous system inflammation.

RESULTS

We found that local MgSO4 administration dose-dependently increases paw withdrawal latency, indicating reduced peripheral postoperative pain. Furthermore, MgSO4 inhibited the expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor NR1 subunit in injured paw tissue and significantly attenuated microglial and astrocytic activation in the ipsilateral lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn.

CONCLUSION

Locally administered MgSO4 has potential for development as an adjunctive therapy for preventing central nociceptive sensitization.

Regional anaesthesia for postoperative pain management following laparoscopic, visceral, non-oncological surgery a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pain management following laparoscopic, non-oncological visceral surgery in adults is challenging. Regional anaesthesia could be a promising component in multimodal pain management.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis with GRADE assessment. Primary outcomes were postoperative acute pain intensity at rest/during movement after 24 h, the number of patients with block-related adverse events and the number of patients with postoperative paralytic ileus.

RESULTS

82 trials were included. Peripheral regional anaesthesia combined with general anaesthesia versus general anaesthesia may result in a slight reduction of pain intensity at rest at 24 h (mean difference (MD) - 0.72 points; 95% confidence interval (CI) - 0.91 to - 0.54; I2 = 97%; low-certainty evidence), which was not clinically relevant. The evidence is very uncertain regarding the effect on pain intensity during activity at 24 h (MD -0.8 points; 95%CI - 1.17 to - 0.42; I2 = 99%; very low-certainty evidence) and on the incidence of block-related adverse events. In contrast, neuraxial regional analgesia combined with general anaesthesia (versus general anaesthesia) may reduce postoperative pain intensity at rest in a clinical relevant matter (MD - 1.19 points; 95%CI - 1.99 to - 0.39; I2 = 97%; low-certainty evidence), but the effect is uncertain during activity (MD - 1.13 points; 95%CI - 2.31 to 0.06; I2 = 95%; very low-certainty evidence). There is uncertain evidence, that neuraxial regional analgesia combined with general anaesthesia (versus general anaesthesia) increases the risk for block-related adverse events (relative risk (RR) 5.11; 95%CI 1.13 to 23.03; I2 = 0%; very low-certainty evidence).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis confirms that regional anaesthesia might be an important part of multimodal postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic visceral surgery, e.g. in patients at risk for severe postoperative pain, and with large differences between surgical procedures and settings. Further research is required to evaluate the use of adjuvants and the additional benefit of regional anaesthesia in ERAS programmes.

PROTOCOL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42021258281.

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Therapies Used by Nurses in Children Undergoing Surgery

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify non-pharmacological pain relief therapies in children undergoing surgery.

DESIGN AND DATA SOURCES

Using keywords extracted from Medical Subject Headings and "Descriptores en Ciencias de la Salud" we searched for articles in the Web of Science, Scopus, Cuiden, PubMed, and CINHAL databases from the last five years, and performed a reverse search. We assessed the documentary quality of the articles using various standardized instruments.

RESULTS

The final review included eleven studies. In terms of cognitive-behavioral techniques, there is evidence that both music and video therapy are effective in reducing postoperative pain in children in seven studies, and therapeutic play in five studies. Other methods used less frequently but found to be effective included laughter therapy in one study and deep breathing in another. Regarding physical methods of pain relief, massage was found to be an effective non-pharmacological therapy for reducing pediatric postoperative pain in two studies and ineffective in another.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we highlight the importance of non-pharmacological therapies in pediatric postoperative pain management. Cognitive-behavioral techniques, especially music therapy, video therapy, and therapeutic play, reduce pediatric postoperative pain. They are therefore effective therapies that nurses can use in this area. Further research into the effectiveness of storytelling is necessary, as the evidence is not entirely conclusive. More evidence is also needed on physical methods of pain relief, particularly massage.

Acupoint Selection in Postoperative Ophthalmic Pain Management: A Data Mining Protocol

Background

Postoperative ophthalmic pain not only induces anxiety and depression among patients, but also prolongs the recovery cycle. However, the management of postoperative pain in ophthalmology is still not standardized. The effectiveness of acupuncture in treating postoperative pain has been validated based on numerous clinical trials and meta-analysis. Our study is to conduct the first data mining analysis to identify the most effective acupoints selection and combinations for treating postoperative ophthalmic pain, inform.

Methods

We will search bibliographic databases from inception to November 2023. Clinical trials evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture therapy in the management of postoperative ophthalmic pain will be selected. Reviews, protocols, animal studies, case reports, systematic evaluations and Meta-analyses will be excluded. Primary outcome indicators will be clinical outcomes related to postoperative ophthalmic pain. Descriptive statistics will be performed in Excel 2019. Association rule analysis will be performed in SPSS Modeler 18.0. Exploratory factor analysis and cluster analysis will be performed in SPSS Statistics 25.0.

Results

This study will investigate the most effective point selection and combination of acupuncture points for the treatment of postoperative ophthalmic pain.

Conclusion

Our findings will provide evidence for the effectiveness and potential therapeutic prescription of acupuncture for postoperative ophthalmologic pain, helping clinicians and patients work together to make more informed decisions.

Predictors and influence of postoperative moderate-to-severe pain of PACU in the patients with malignancy

BACKGROUND

This study was identified the risk factors for and designed to investigate influence of postoperative moderate-to-severe pain of post anaesthesia care unit (PACU) in patients with malignancy.

METHODS

A retrospective study was performed on 22,600 cancer patients with malignancy who underwent elective radical surgery in the new hospital of First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, between January 2016 and June 2021. All patients were transferred to the PACU after tracheal extubation. Patients were divided into two groups according to a visual analogue scale (VAS) score of > 3: the no-moderate-severe-pain group and moderate-to-severe-pain group. Data pertaining to demographic, surgical, anaesthetic, and other factors were recorded. Lasso and logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the risk factors, then a nomogram was constructed to predict the moderate-severe-pain in the PACU. Validation was performed by using another 662 cancer patients in old hospital. The ROC curves and calibration curve were used to evaluate the accuracy and predictive ability of the nomogram.

RESULTS

The incidence of postoperative moderate-to-severe pain of PACU in patients with malignancy was 1.42%. Gender, type of surgery, postoperative use of PCA, intraoperative adjuvant opioid agonists, NSAIDS, epidural analgesia, duration of anaesthesia, intraoperative massive haemorrhage, PACU vomiting were independent predictors for postoperative moderate-to-severe pain of PACU in the patients with malignancy. The area under the ROC curve of the predictive models in the primary and validation groups were 0.817 and 0.786, respectively. Moderate-to-severe pain in the PACU correlated with hypertension, hyperglycaemia, agitation, and hypoxemia (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The prediction model for postoperative moderate-to-severe pain of PACU in patients with malignancy has good predictive ability and high accuracy, which is helpful for PACU medical staff to identify and prevent postoperative moderate-to-severe pain in advance.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The study was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University (No.KY2021-097) and registered in the Chictr.org.cn registration system on 06/12/2021 (ChiCTR2100054013).

Safety of Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs as Part of Enhanced Recovery After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is an effective bariatric surgery option for managing extreme obesity in most patients. While non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) promise postoperative pain management after bariatric surgeries, their safety in LSG remains unexplored. In this systematic review, we studied the safety of NSAIDs following LSG reported by six studies involving 588 patients. Our study demonstrated that NSAIDs effectively alleviated the postoperative pain after LSG without major safety concerns. Most reported (>20% incidence) adverse events included postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV, 21%). For patients undergoing LSG, NSAIDs offer a valuable option for pain management and improved care, potentially reducing opioid consumption. However, additional research is required to optimize NSAID usage and ensure safety, especially concerning renal and gastrointestinal issues.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Formulation of Ketorolac Tromethamine for Continuous Infusion (NTM-001) in Healthy Volunteers

INTRODUCTION

There is an urgent unmet medical need for a safe, effective, nonopioid analgesic agent for postoperative pain control.

METHODS

This first-in-man study was designed to explore a data-informed, model-based candidate dosage regimen and safety of a novel formulation of ketorolac tromethamine (NTM-001) delivered as a 12.5-mg intravenous (IV) bolus followed immediately by 3.5 mg/h continuous infusion over 24 h compared versus IV bolus dosing of 30 mg generic ketorolac every 6 h. The study evaluated pharmacokinetic parameters and safety profiles based on a targeted product profile. A graphical overlay method and model-based comparisons were used to assess the concentration-time curve.

RESULTS

Healthy adults (n = 28, 50% men) received NTM-001 and bolus dosing in an open-label crossover design. Observed plasma concentrations were tightly aligned with predicted values with no outliers. Graphical overlay comparisons showed low between-subject variability and agreed with forecasted concentration-time targets. The pharmacokinetic (PK) base models fit with preliminary PK data from both the NTM-001 and bolus groups with model fit median profiles within 95% prediction limits and no updating of the models. Consistent with serum concentration-time profiles, pain relief scores fell within predicted limits, with initial pain relief scores of NTM-001 slightly above the target profile, likely because the initial serum ketorolac concentrations were somewhat higher than predicted. The 24-h pain relief predicted for NTM-001 based on the area under the median ketorolac pain relief versus time curve was about 6% below that of the pain relief target. Both treatments were well tolerated and no subject withdrew because of adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

The PK parameters for NTM-001 and comparator bolus were similar to the modeling targets with no updating of the base model. There were no outliers and little intersubject variability. NTM-001 delivered as a bolus of 12.5 mg IV followed immediately by continuous infusion of 3.5 mg/h using a standard hospital infusion pump may offer an alternative to opioids for acute postoperative pain control.

Pharmacokinetics, metabolite profiling, safety and tolerability of YZJ-4729 tartrate, a novel G protein-biased μ-opioid receptor agonist, in healthy Chinese subjects

Objective: YZJ-4729 is a novel G protein-biased μ-opioid receptor agonist for the treatment of acute pain in adult patients who require intravenous opioid analgesic therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetics, metabolite profiling, safety and tolerability of YZJ-4729 in healthy Chinese subjects following the single intravenous doses ranged from 0.2 mg to 6 mg. Methods: This single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study was conducted in 54 healthy male and female Chinese subjects after single ascending doses of YZJ-4729 tartrate (0.2, 0.5, 1.5, 3, 4.5, and 6 mg). Subjects in each cohort were assigned randomly to receive a single intravenous dose of YZJ-4729 tartrate injection or placebo at a ratio of 4:1. Pharmacokinetic characteristics, metabolite profiling, safety and tolerability profiles of the study drug were evaluated. Results: Overall, YZJ-4729 was safe and well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects. The study drug reached peak plasma concentrations nearly at the end of the infusion. After administration, YZJ-4729 was eliminated rapidly with a terminal elimination half-life of 0.862-2.50 h, and excreted little in human excreta. The maximum drug concentration and area under the plasma concentration-time curve increased with dose escalation across the entire dose range. YZJ-4729 experienced extensive metabolism in human body. A total of 19 metabolites were identified and the characteristic metabolic pathways involved hydroxylation, ketone formation, N-dealkylation and glucuronide conjugation. Metabolite M10 was the most abundant circulating metabolite, and represented over 10% of total drug-related systemic exposure. Further PK and safety evaluation of M10 was necessary. Conclusion: The clinical study results laid a foundation for the further clinical studies of YZJ-4729 in patients. Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn, identifier CTR20222574.

Efficacy of memantine premedication in alleviating postoperative pain- A systematic review and meta-analysis

Many premedication agents with opioid-sparing properties have been used in patients undergoing various elective surgeries. Memantine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that has been used by many researchers as an opioid-sparing strategy. Various databases like PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov were searched after registering the review protocol in PROSPERO for randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) that investigated the efficacy and safety of memantine premedication in adult patients undergoing various elective surgeries. The risk of bias (RoB-2) scale was used to assess the quality of evidence. From the 225 articles that were identified after a database search, 3 studies were included for a qualitative systematic review and a quantitative meta-analysis. The pooled analysis revealed that the use of memantine provided better pain scores at 2nd (mean difference: -0.82, 95% CI: -1.60, -0.05, P = 0.04) with significant heterogeneity (P = 0.06; I² =71%), and 6 hours postoperatively (mean difference: -1.80, 95% CI: -2.23, -1.37, P < 0.00001), but not at 1 hour. The sedation scores at 1 hour were higher in the memantine group but comparable in the 2nd hour. The number of doses of rescue analgesia and nausea/vomiting in the postoperative period was comparable in both groups. The results of this review suggest that memantine premedication could provide better pain scores in the immediate postoperative period with acceptable adverse effects. However, the current evidence is insufficient to suggest the routine use of memantine as a premedication before elective surgeries.

Ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block to prevent neurocognitive impairment in elderly patients after thoracoscopic lobectomy: protocol for a single-centre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative neurocognitive dysfunction (PND), including postoperative delirium (POD), is a common complication in elderly patients after major surgeries, often leading to poor postoperative recovery. Although the pathological mechanism underlying PND is still unclear, postoperative pain is strongly associated with the development of PND. The ultrasound-guided serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) has been reported to relieve postoperative pain in thoracic surgery. Therefore, this prospective trial hypothesises that SAPB may reduce the incidence of PND in the elderly undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This study is designed as a single-centre, double-blind, randomised controlled clinical trial. A total of 256 elderly patients scheduled to undergo thoracoscopic lobectomy at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital will be randomly assigned to general anaesthesia group or SAPB group. The primary outcome is the incidence of PND 7 days postoperatively or before discharge from hospital. The secondary outcomes include the occurrence of POD, the postoperative pain scores, Quality of Recovery at 1-2 days postoperatively and incidence of PND at 3 months postoperatively. The levels of fasting blood glucose in peripheral blood will be examined before and 1-2 days postoperatively.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The trial has been approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital (identifier: K20-290). All participants will be required to provide written informed consent before any protocol-specific procedures. Findings will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed journal and in national and/or international meetings to guide future practice.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ChiCTR2100052633.

Postoperative Opioid Prescribing in Adolescents and Young Adults After Urologic Procedures Is Associated With New Persistent Opioid Use Disorder: A Large Claims Database Analysis

OBJECTIVE

To assess the risk of persistent opioid use following various urologic procedures in adolescents and young adults.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The TriNetX LLC Diamond Network was queried for patients aged 13-21years who underwent pyeloplasty, hypospadias repair, inguinal hernia repair, inguinal orchiopexy, hydrocelectomy, or circumcision. Cohorts of patients prescribed and not prescribed postoperative opioids were created and propensity-matched for age, race/ethnicity, psychiatric diagnoses, and preoperative pain diagnoses. The primary outcome was new persistent opioid use, defined as new opioid use 3-9months after index procedure without another surgery requiring anesthesia during the postoperative timeframe.

RESULTS

Of 32,789 patients identified, 66.0% received a postoperative opioid prescription. After propensity score matching for each procedure, 18,416 patients were included: 197 for pyeloplasty, 469 for hypospadias repair, 1818 for inguinal hernia repair, 2664 for inguinal orchiopexy, 534 for hydrocelectomy, and 3526 for circumcision. Overall, 0.41% of patients who did not receive postoperative opioids developed new persistent opioid use, whereas 1.69% of patients who received postoperative opioids developed new persistent opioid use (P < .05). Patients prescribed postoperative opioids had statistically higher odds of developing new persistent opioid use for hypospadias repair (RR: 17.0; 95% CI: 2.27-127.2), inguinal orchiopexy (RR: 3.46; 95% CI: 1.87-6.4), inguinal hernia repair (RR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.07-4.44), and circumcision (RR: 4.83; 95% CI: 2.60-8.98).

CONCLUSION

The use of postoperative opioids after urological procedures in adolescents and young adults is associated with a significant risk of developing new persistent opioid use.

Effect of Using Silver Nylon Dressings on Postoperative Pain after Cesarean Delivery

OBJECTIVE

Silver dressings have been associated with a decrease in postoperative pain in selected populations, but it is unknown if the benefit can be observed after cesarean deliveries. We sought to evaluate the impact of silver nylon dressings in reducing postoperative pain after cesarean delivery.

STUDY DESIGN

A secondary analysis of data from a blinded randomized clinical trial of women undergoing cesarean delivery scheduled and unscheduled at a single site was conducted. Women were recruited for participation from a single site and randomized to a silver nylon dressing or an identical-appearing gauze wound dressing. Wounds were evaluated in the outpatient clinic at 1 and 6 weeks after delivery and patient responded to the modified patient scar assessment scale. The primary outcome of this analysis was inpatient opioid and nonopioid analgesic dispensed. The secondary outcome was patient-reported pain at the 1- and 6-week postpartum visits. Data were analyzed using chi-square test, Student's t-test, Fisher's exact test, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney's test, and logistic regression where appropriate. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Among the 649 participants, women allocated to the silver nylon dressing group, when compared with the gauze group, were similar in the amount of dispensed opioid and nonopioid analgesic medications (morphine equivalent milligrams of opioids dispensed [82.5 vs. 90 mg, p = 0.74], intravenous nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) [120 vs. 120 mg, p = 0.55], and oral NSAIDs [4,800 vs. 5,600 mg in the gauze group, p = 0.65]). After adjusting for confounding variables, postoperative wound infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 11.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.51-30.31) at 1-week postoperative and again at 6-week postoperative (aOR: 5.59; 95% CI: 1.03-30.31) but not gauze dressing was associated with patient-reported postoperative pain.

CONCLUSION

Among women undergoing cesarean delivery, silver nylon dressing was not associated with a reduction in postoperative pain.

KEY POINTS

· Silver dressings showed no decrease in pain medications.. · Wound infection is associated with pain postoperatively.. · Silver dressings did not reduce postoperative pain..

Laparoscopic versus Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia Management after Radical Prostatectomy: Results from a Single Center Study

(1) Background: Regional anesthesia, achieved through nerve blocks, has gained widespread acceptance as an effective pain management approach. This research aimed to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic (LAP) transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. (2) Methods: From January 2023 to July 2023, 60 consecutive patients undergoing minimally invasive radical prostatectomy were selected. Patients were split into two groups receiving ultrasound-guided (US) or laparoscopic-guided TAP block. The primary outcome was a pain score expressed by a 0-10 visual analog scale (VAS) during the first 72 h after surgery. (3) Results: Both LAP-TAP and US-TAP block groups were associated with lower pain scores postoperatively. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in surgery time, blood loss, time to ambulation, length of stay, and pain after surgery (all p > 0.2). In the LAP-TAP block group, the overall operating room time was significantly shorter than in the US-TAP block group (140 vs. 152 min, p = 0.04). (4) Conclusions: The laparoscopic approach, compared to the US-TAP block, was equally safe and not inferior in reducing analgesic drug use postoperatively. Moreover, the intraoperative LAP-TAP block seems to be a time-sparing procedure that could be recommended when patient-controlled analgesia cannot be delivered.

Hotspots and Trends in Research on Treating Pain with Electroacupuncture: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis from 1994 to 2022

Purpose

Electroacupuncture is widely used to pain management. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify the hotspots and trends in research on electroacupuncture for pain.

Methods

We retrieved studies published from 1994-2022 on the topic of pain relief by electroacupuncture from the Web of Science Core Collection database. We comprehensively analysed the data with VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and bibliometrix. Seven aspects of the data were analysed separately: annual publication outputs, countries, institutions, authors, journals, keywords and references.

Results

A total of 2030 papers were analysed, and the number of worldwide publications continuously increased over the period of interest. The most productive country and institution in this field were China and KyungHee University. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine was the most productive journal, and Pain was the most co-cited journal. Han Jisheng, Fang Jianqiao, and Lao Lixing were the most representative authors. Based on keywords and references, three active areas of research on EA for pain were mechanisms, randomized controlled trials, and perioperative applications. Three emerging trends were functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), systematic reviews, and knee osteoarthritis.

Conclusion

This study comprehensively analysed the research published over the past 28 years on electroacupuncture for pain treatment, using bibliometrics and science mapping analysis. This work presents the current status and landscape of the field and may serve as a valuable resource for researchers. Chronic pain, fMRI-based mechanistic research, and the perioperative application of electroacupuncture are among the likely foci of future research in this area.

Preemptive QP001, a fast-acting meloxicam formulation, provides analgesia and reduces opioid consumption following abdominal surgery: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

QP001, a novel meloxicam formulation, has been developed to manage moderate to severe postoperative pain. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of QP001 injections for moderate to severe pain following abdominal surgery.

METHOD

This prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial enlisted patients experiencing moderate to severe pain following abdominal surgery. These patients were randomized to receive either QP001 injections (30 mg or 60 mg) or a placebo pre-surgery. The primary efficacy endpoint was the total morphine consumption within 24 h after the first administration.

RESULTS

A total of 108 patients were enrolled, and 106 patients completed the study. The total morphine consumption in the QP001 30 mg group and 60 mg group, versus placebo group, were significantly lower over the following 24 h (5.11[5.46] vs 8.86[7.67], P = 0.011; 3.11[3.08] vs 8.86[7.67], P < 0.001), respectively. The total morphine consumption in the QP001 30 mg and 60 mg groups, versus placebo group, was also significantly decreased over the following 48 h, including the 24-48 h period (P ≤ 0.001). The QP001 30 mg and 60 mg groups, versus placebo, showed a significant decrease in the area under the curve for pain intensity-time as well as a significant decrease in the effective pressing times of the analgesic pump over the 24 h and 48 h periods (P < 0.05). The QP001 groups, versus placebo, show no significant different in Adverse Events or Adverse Drug Reactions (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Preoperative/preemptive QP001 provides analgesia and reduces opioid consumption in patients with moderate to severe pain following abdominal surgery, while maintaining a favorable safety profile.

Impact of Genetic Variants on Postoperative Pain and Fentanyl Dose Requirement in Patients Undergoing Major Breast Surgery: A Candidate Gene Association Study

BACKGROUND

Postoperative analgesia is crucial for the early and effective recovery of patients undergoing surgery. Although postoperative multimodal analgesia is widely practiced, opioids such as fentanyl are still one of the best analgesics. The analgesic response of fentanyl varies widely among individuals, probably due to genetic and nongenetic factors. Among genetic factors, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may influence its analgesic response by altering the structure or function of genes involved in nociceptive, fentanyl pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic pathways. Thus, it is necessary to comprehensively ascertain if the SNPs present in the aforementioned pathways are associated with interindividual differences in fentanyl requirement. In this study, we evaluated the association between 10 candidate SNPs in 9 genes and 24-hour postoperative fentanyl dose (primary outcome) and also with postoperative pain scores and time for first analgesia (secondary outcomes).

METHODS

A total of 257 South Indian women, aged 18-70 years, with American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status I-III, undergoing major breast surgery under general anesthesia, were included in the study. Patients were genotyped for candidate SNPs using real-time polymerase chain reaction. All patients received a standardized intravenous fentanyl infusion through a patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) pump, and the 24-hour postoperative fentanyl dose requirement was measured using PCA.

RESULTS

The median 24-hour postoperative fentanyl requirement was higher in rs1799971 carriers (G/G versus A/A + A/G-620 μg [500-700] vs 460 μg [400-580]) with a geometric mean (GM) ratio of 1.91 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.071-1.327). The median 24-hour pain scores were higher in rs4680 carriers (A/G + A/A versus G/G-34 [30-38] vs 31 [30-38]) with a GM ratio of 1.059 (95% CI, 1.018-1.101) and were lower in rs1045642 carriers (A/A + A/G versus G/G-34 [30-38] vs 30 [30-34]) with a GM ratio of 0.936 (95% CI, 0.889-0.987). The median time for first analgesic was lower in rs734784 carriers [C/C versus T/T + C/T-240 minutes (180-270) vs 240 minutes (210-270)] with a GM ratio of 0.902 (95% CI, 0.837-0.972). Five of 9 clinical factors, namely, history of diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroidism, anesthesia duration, and intraoperative fentanyl requirement were associated with different outcomes individually ( P < .05) and were used to adjust the respective associations.

CONCLUSIONS

The SNP opioid receptor mu-1 ( OPRM1 ) (rs1799971) was associated with higher postoperative fentanyl requirement in South Indian patients undergoing major breast surgery. Twenty-four hour postoperative pain scores were higher in catechol-O-methyl transferase ( COMT ) (rs4680) carriers and lower in ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1 ( ABCB1 ) (rs1045642) carriers, whereas time for first analgesic was lower in potassium channel subunit 1 ( KCNS1 ) (rs734784) carriers. However, these exploratory findings must be confirmed in a larger study.

Parenteral Ready-to-Use Fixed-Dose Combinations Including NSAIDs with Paracetamol or Metamizole for Multimodal Analgesia-Approved Products and Challenges

The combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with non-opioid analgesics is common in clinical practice for the treatment of acute painful conditions like post-operative and post-traumatic pain. Despite the satisfactory results achieved by oral analgesics, parenteral analgesia remains a key tool in the treatment of painful conditions when the enteral routes of administration are inconvenient. Parenteral ready-to-use fixed-dose combinations of non-opioid analgesics combinations, including NSAIDs and paracetamol or metamizole, could play a central role in the treatment of painful conditions by combining the advantages of multimodal and parenteral analgesia in a single formulation. Surprisingly, only in 2020, a parenteral ready-to-use fixed-dose combination of ibuprofen/paracetamol was launched to the market. This review aims to investigate the current availability of combinations of NSAIDs with paracetamol or metamizole in both European and American markets, and how the combination of such drugs could play a central role in a multimodal analgesia strategy. Also, we explored how the parenteral formulations of NSAIDs, paracetamol, and metamizole could serve as starting elements for the development of new parenteral ready-to-use fixed-dose combinations. We concluded that, despite the well-recognized utility of combining NSAIDs with paracetamol or metamizole, several randomized clinical trial studies demonstrate no clear advantages concerning their efficacy and safety. Future clinical trials specifically designed to assess the efficacy and safety of pre-formulated fixed-dose combinations are required to generate solid evidence about their clinical advantages.

Differences in Analgesia Methods for Open Gastrointestinal Surgery Are Not Associated With Initial Postoperative Ambulation

Background

A characteristic of modern medical care is the reduction in the length of hospital stay, and several facilities across Japan are working towards this goal. The presence of postoperative pain is correlated with the number of days to hospital discharge. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between the analgesic methods used in clinical practice and the initial ambulation of postoperative laparotomy patients with severe postoperative worked incisional pain to enable better analgesic management in the future.

Methods

This retrospective study collected information from the medical records of 117 patients who underwent laparotomy between December 1, 2019, and October 13, 2020, at the Department of Gastroenterology of the International University of Health and Welfare Mita Hospital. Based on the failure or success of the ambulation process, the patients were divided into the delayed and successful groups, respectively.

Results

In the delayed group, patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) was used in 32 patients, intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) was used in two patients, continuous worked incisional infiltration anesthesia was used in one patient, and transvenous acetaminophen was used in one patient for postoperative analgesia. In the successful group, PCEA was used in 66 patients, IV-PCA was used in 11 patients, continuous worked incisional infiltration anesthesia was used in three patients, and acetaminophen administered intravenously at patient's request was used in one patient (P = 0.094).

Conclusions

No significant differences were observed between different postoperative analgesia methods, suggesting that there may be no association between postoperative ambulation and the postoperative analgesia method.

Modifiable factors associated with a consistently high acute pain trajectory after surgical treatment of traumatic fractures in Ethiopia: a multi-center prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

In Ethiopia, little is known about postoperative pain trajectories and possible predictive factors associated with them in patients undergoing surgery following traumatic fractures.

METHODS

This multi-center prospective observational cohort study included surgical candidates for traumatic fractures (n = 218). Worst pain intensity was measured with an 11-point numeric rating scale on the first 4 postoperative days and day of hospital discharge. Growth mixture modeling was used to identify subgroups of patients based on their pain trajectories, and logistic regression models to quantify associations between pain trajectories and demographic, clinical, psychological, and life style factors.

RESULTS

Two postoperative pain trajectory subgroups were identified: rapid pain relief (48% of included individuals) and consistently high pain (52% of included individuals). Sub-analysis stratified by cause of injury demonstrated that higher preoperative pain was an independent risk factor for consistently high postoperative pain regardless of the patient's injury type: traffic accident (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.23-1.79), machine/tool injury or conflict (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.11-2.26), or fall (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.08-1.99). Moreover, longer surgical time was a risk factor for consistently high postoperative pain among patients who had a fall-related injury (OR = 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03). In contrast, among patients with a traffic-related injury, receiving a nerve block was a protective factor (OR = 0.19, 95% CI 0.04-0.87) compared with general anesthesia.

CONCLUSION

Higher preoperative pain and longer surgical time were associated with a consistently high acute postoperative pain trajectory. Clinicians may use these potentially modifiable factors to identify patients at risk for consistently high pain during the early postoperative period.

Treatment duration of wrist-ankle acupuncture for relieving post-thyroidectomy pain: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Treatment duration of wrist-ankle acupuncture (WAA) is uncertain for post-thyroidectomy pain relief.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the effect of different WAA treatment duration on post-operative pain relief and other discomforts associated with thyroidectomy.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION

This randomized controlled trial was conducted at a single research site in Guangzhou, China. A total of 132 patients receiving thyroidectomy were randomly divided into the control group (sham WAA, 30 min) and three intervention groups (group 1: WAA, 30 min; group 2: WAA, 45 min; group 3: WAA, 60 min), with group allocation ratio of 1:1:1:1. Acupuncture was administered within 1 hour of leaving the operating room.

OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Primary outcome was patients' pain at the surgical site assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) at the moment after acupuncture treatment (post-intervention). Secondary outcomes included the patients' pain VAS scores at 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h after the thyroidectomy, the 40-item Quality of Recovery (QoR-40) score, the grade of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and the use of additional analgesic therapy.

RESULTS

The adjusted mean difference (AMD) in VAS scores from baseline to post-intervention in group 1 was -0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI], -1.02 to -0.76). The decrease in VAS score at post-intervention was statistically significant in group 1 compared to the control group (AMD, -0.43; 95% CI, -0.58 to -0.28; P < 0.001), and in groups 2 and 3 compared to group 1 (group 2 vs group 1: AMD, -0.65; 95% CI, -0.81 to -0.48; P < 0.001; group 3 vs group 1: AMD, -0.66; 95% CI, -0.86 to -0.47; P < 0.001). The VAS scores in the four groups converged beyond 24 h after the operation. Fewer patients in group 2 and group 3 experienced PONV in the first 24 h after operation. No statistical differences were measured in QoR-40 score and the number of patients with additional analgesic therapy.

CONCLUSION

Compared with the 30 min intervention, WAA treatment with longer needle retention time (45 or 60 min) had an advantage in pain relief within 6 h after surgery. WAA's analgesic effect lasted for 6-12 h post-operatively. Please cite this article as: Han XR, Yue W, Chen HC, He W, Luo JH, Chen SX, Liu N, Yang M. Treatment duration of wrist-ankle acupuncture for relieving post-thyroidectomy pain: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2023; Epub ahead of print.

Epidural dexamethasone for acute postoperative pain management: a systematic review with meta-analysis

Aim: To study the effect of epidural dexamethasone in postoperative pain management. Methods: Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted in RevMan 5.4. Results: We included nine randomized-controlled trials (RCT) with 657 patients. Dexamethasone demonstrated longer analgesia duration (mean difference 266.18 minutes, 95% CI [3.21,529.14]; p 0.05), lower incidence of nausea and vomiting during the first postoperative day (risk ratio 0.36, 95% CI [0.18,0.71]; p 0.004), and lower antiemetic requirements (risk ratio 0.33, 95% CI [0.14,0.79]; p 0.01). No difference in pain reduction and the length of hospital stay was observed between the groups. Conclusion: Dexamethasone was associated with a longer analgesic effect, a lower number of patients requiring antiemetics, and lower incidences of nausea and vomiting.

Postoperative Pain in Patients Undergoing Cancer Surgery and Intravenous Patient-Controlled Analgesia Use: The First and Second 24 h Experiences

INTRODUCTION

Postoperative cancer pain imposes severe physical and psychological problems. We aimed to investigate the pain experiences of patients with cancer after surgery, analyze the impact of infusion volume by patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), and explore the variations between day 1 and day 2.

METHODS

Data were retrospectively extracted from a large health data platform. Descriptive statistics were presented for the demographic and clinical profiles of patients. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate associations between intensity of pain and PCA use after adjustment for risk factors.

RESULTS

Among 11,383 patients with cancer, the incidence of pain (moderate to severe pain) was 93.3% (18.3%) at the first 24 h after operation, while the respect values decreased to 91.1% and 9.5% at the second 24 h. Further, female patients consistently experienced higher risk of pain over the whole 48 h postoperatively. Surgical sites were related to pain risk, with the highest risk among the respiratory system (OR 2.077, 95% CI 1.392-3.100). High doses of continuous volume (OR 2.453, 95% CI 1.742-3.456) and total volume (OR 2.830, 95% CI 2.037-3.934) of infusions were related to 1-3-fold elevated pain risk. Additionally, the observed associations were mostly repeated and could be up to over 10 times when pain was evaluated with number of PCA pump compressions instead of Numerical Rating Scale (NRS).

CONCLUSIONS

High risk of postoperative cancer pain, particularly among the high PCA dose group, could possibly indicate inadequate pain control, and presence of modifiable risk factors warrants more aggressive pain management strategies perioperatively.

Analgesic Effect of Preoperative Intravenous Administration of Paracetamol on Post-cesarean Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background

Pain control after every surgery, especially cesarean section, is very important, and physicians strive to discover pain control methods using the least amount of opioids. Paracetamol is a non-opioid analgesic with few complications.

Objectives

The present study aimed to investigate the analgesic effect of preoperative intravenous administration of paracetamol on post-cesarean pain.

Methods

This randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted on 240 pregnant women under spinal anesthesia who were candidates for elective cesarean section. The patients' weight, height, age, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded, and patients were randomly divided into 2 equal groups (n = 120). In the first group, 10 mg/kg paracetamol in 100 mL of normal saline (paracetamol group) and, in the second group, 100 mL normal saline (control group) were administered 15 minutes before surgery intravenously. Blood pressure, pulse rate, chills, and nausea were recorded during and 1 hour after surgery; in addition, the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the need for additional analgesics were recorded 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours after surgery.

Results

Mean pain scores were significantly lower in the paracetamol group (4.01 ± 2.22) than in the control group 6 hours (4.83 ± 2.35; P = 0.008) and 24 hours (2.26 ± 1.85 and 2.67 ± 1.80, respectably; P = 0.038) after surgery. Mean meperidine consumption was lower in the paracetamol group than in the control group, but it was not significant. No significant difference was found between the 2 groups in the frequency of chills and nausea (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

Within the limitations of the current study, preoperative intravenous administration of paracetamol significantly reduced post-cesarean pain within 24 hours.

Surgical Pharmacy for Optimizing Medication Therapy Management Services within Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS®) Programs

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are common among surgical patients, especially older patients with polypharmacy and underlying diseases. DRPs can potentially lead to morbidity, mortality, and increased treatment costs. The enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) system has shown great advantages in managing surgical patients. Medication therapy management for surgical patients (established as "surgical pharmacy" by Guangdong Province Pharmaceutical Association (GDPA)) is an important part of the ERAS system. Improper medication therapy management can lead to serious consequences and even death. In order to reduce DRPs further, and promote the rapid recovery of surgical patients, the need for pharmacists in the ERAS program is even more pressing. However, the medication therapy management services of surgical pharmacy and how surgical pharmacists should participate in ERAS programs are still unclear worldwide. Therefore, this article reviews the main perioperative medical management strategies and precautions from several aspects, including antimicrobial agents, antithrombotic agents, pain medication, nutritional therapy, blood glucose monitoring, blood pressure treatment, fluid management, treatment of nausea and vomiting, and management of postoperative delirium. Additionally, the way surgical pharmacists participate in perioperative medication management, and the relevant medication pathways are explored for optimizing medication therapy management services within the ERAS programs. This study will greatly assist surgical pharmacists' work, contributing to surgeons accepting that pharmacists have an important role in the multidisciplinary team, benefitting medical workers in treating, counseling, and advocating for their patients, and further improving the effectiveness, safety and economy of medication therapy for patients and promoting patient recovery.

Cesarean delivery using an ERAS-CD process for nonopioid anesthesia and analgesia drug/medication management

Cesarean delivery (CD) is a surgical delivery of a neonate with surgical access through the maternal abdominal and uterine structures. The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol is a standardized perioperative care program and surgery quality improvement process that has had global spread across numerous surgical disciplines. The medical and surgical use of opioids for pain management and the nonmedical opioid use, over the last three decades, have significantly increased the prevalence of abuse and addiction to opioids. This review summarizes pain, pregnancy substance use, and ERAS-directed analgesia and anesthesia for opioid use reduction or elimination in the operative and postoperative periods. Enhanced recovery (quality and safety) in the surgical CD context requires collaboration, consensus, and appropriate clinical prioritization to allow for the identification of 'the right patient, in the right clinical situation, with the right informed consent, and the right clinical care team and health system'.

Opioid-Free Anesthesia: The Pros and Cons

Appropriate perioperative pain control is essential to aid in patients' recovery after surgery; however, acute postsurgical pain remains poorly treated and there continues to be an overreliance on opiates. Perioperative pain control starts in the operating room, and opiate-free anesthesia (OFA), where no opiates are used intraoperatively, has been proposed as a feasible strategy to further minimize opiates in the perioperative period. In this article, we address the potential benefits and shortcomings of OFA, while exploring tools available to accomplish multimodal anesthesia and ideally OFA, and the evidence behind the techniques proposed.

Incidence of Postoperative Pain at 7 Days After Day Surgery Reported Using a Text Messaging Platform: Retrospective Observational Study

Background

The most frequent complication observed after ambulatory surgery is acute postoperative pain.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the late incidence of postoperative pain at 7 days after day surgery.

Methods

We retrospectively included patients who underwent day surgery under general or regional anesthesia and those who underwent local anesthesia in Rouen University Hospital from January 2018 to February 2020. Data collected were moderate-to-severe pain reports defined as numeric rating scale (NRS)>3/10 at 1 day (secondary end point) and 7 days (primary end point) after surgery. These data were collected using a semi-intelligent SMS text messaging platform to follow up with the patient at home after ambulatory surgery. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the risk factors for pain.

Results

We analyzed 6099 patients. On the day after the surgery, 5.2% (318/6099) of the patients presented with moderate-to-severe pain: 5.9% (248/4187) in the general or regional anesthesia group and 3.7% (70/1912) in the local anesthesia group. At 7 days after the surgery, 18.6% (1135/6099) of the patients presented with moderate-to-severe pain, including 21.3% (892/4187) of the patients in the general or regional anesthesia group and 12.7% (243/1912) of the patients in the local anesthesia group. General surgery (odds ratio [OR] 1.54, 95% CI 1.23-1.92; P<.01) and orthopedic surgery (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.42-1.94; P<.01) were associated with more late postoperative pain risk. Male gender (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.57-0.76; P<.01), ophthalmology surgery (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.42-0.62; P<.01), and gynecologic surgery (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50-0.88; P=.01) were associated with less late postoperative pain risk. The rate of emergency consultation or rehospitalization at 7 days after the surgery was 11.1% (679/6099). Late postoperative pain (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.98-3.32; P<.001), general surgery (OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.65-2.81; P<.001), and urology surgery (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.06-2.43; P=.02) increased the risk of emergency consultation or rehospitalization. Orthopedic surgery (OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.63-0.99; P=.04) and electroconvulsive therapy (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.27-0.65; P<.001) were associated with less rates of emergency consultation or rehospitalization.

Conclusions

Our study shows that postoperative pain at 7 days after ambulatory surgery was reported in more than 18% of the cases, which was also associated with an increase in the emergency consultation or rehospitalization rates.

Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of the Current Status and Trends of Postoperative Pain in Children from 1950-2021

Background

Postoperative pain in children has been overlooked for a long time. The knowledge structure, research hotspots and trends related to postoperative pain in children are unclear and have not been systematically summarized.

Purpose

We aimed to analyze the current state of research on postoperative pain in children and to conduct in-depth mining of the knowledge structure.

Methods

The PubMed database for publications on postoperative pain in children between 1950 and 2021 was searched. Bibliographic Item Co-Occurrence Matrix Builder (BICOMB) was performed to obtain the co-word matrix and co-occurrence matrix. The H-index method was used to extract high-frequency main Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms/subheadings.

Results

The high-frequency MeSH terms were analyzed by biclustering, strategic diagram and social network analyses. Totally, 4022 publications were retrieved. The analysis showed that 60 countries or regions published relevant documents, with the United States publishing the most significant number of papers. Totally, 811 journals published relevant papers, with Pediatric Anesthesia ranking first. Moreover, we extracted 43 high-frequency main MeSH terms/subheadings and clustered them into five categories: overview, aetiology and epidemiology, pharmacotherapy, opioid administration and dosing, and prevention and control of postoperative pain in children.

Conclusion

Pharmacological treatments, pain prevention and control are the focus of research and are becoming increasingly mature. Opioid stewardship and regional anesthesia is the trend and focus of future research. Our study offers a better understanding of the current status and knowledge structure of postoperative pain in children and provides a reference for improving postoperative pain management in children in the future.

A Systematic Review of Virtual Reality Therapeutics for Acute Pain Management

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the delivery and clinical efficacy of virtual reality (VR) therapeutics for acute pain management in adults and identify practical considerations of VR deployment, as well as current gaps in the literature.

DESIGN

A systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

A search of PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Embase, Compendex, and Inspec was completed using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and keyword search terms related to acute pain and VR.

REVIEW/ANALYSIS METHODS

A systematic review of all pertinent articles published between January 1, 2000, and August 1, 2020, was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

RESULTS

Twenty-three articles met final inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Studies utilized VR in a variety of settings for wound care, procedure-induced pain, physical or occupational therapy, dental treatment or generalized acute pain. A likely mechanism by which VR promoted analgesia in these studies is distraction. Of the reviewed studies, 19 (83%) reported decreases in pain intensity while using VR compared with no VR use or with a non-VR group.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review found VR to be an effective tool for acute pain management. Findings from this review also underscore the importance of addressing the patient's sense of presence and levels of immersion, interaction, and interest when deploying VR. Future VR studies should consider incorporation of anxiety, presence, and VR side effect measures in addition to acute pain metrics.

The influence of involving patients in postoperative pain treatment decisions on pain-related patient-reported outcomes: A STROBE-compliant registering observational study

The evidence regarding the influence of allowing patients to participate in postoperative pain treatment decisions on acute pain management is contradictory. This study aimed to identify the role of patient participation in influencing pain-related patient-reported outcomes (PROs). This is a cross-sectional study. The data were provided by PAIN OUT (www.pain-out.eu). A dataset specific to adult Chinese patients undergoing orthopedic surgery was selected. The PROs were assessed on postoperative day 1. The patient participant was assessed using an 11-point scale. Participants who reported >5 were allocated to the "participation" group, and those who reported ≤5 were allocated to the "nonparticipation" group. A 1:1 propensity score matching was conducted. The primary outcome was the desire for more pain treatment. All other items of PROs were the secondary outcomes comprising pain intensity, interference of pain with function, emotional impairment, adverse effects, and other patient perception. From February 2014 to November 2020, 2244 patients from 20 centers were approached, of whom 1804 patients were eligible and 726 pairs were matched. There was no significant difference between the groups in the desire for more pain treatment either before (25.4% vs 28.2%, risk ratio [95% CI]: 0.90 [0.77, 1.05], P = .18) or after matching (26.7% vs 28.8%, risk ratio [95% CI]: 0.93 [0.79, 1.10], P = .43). After matching, patients in the participation group reported significantly better PROs, including pain intensity (less time spent in severe pain [P < .01]), emotional impairment (less anxiety [P < .01]), interference with function (less interference with sleep [P < .01]), adverse effects (less drowsiness [P = .01]), and patient perception (more pain relief [P < .01] and more satisfaction [P < .01]), than the nonparticipation group. Patient participation in pain treatment decisions was associated with improved pain experience but failed to mitigate the desire for more treatment.

Comparison of the Analgesic Effect of Subcutaneous Bupivacaine Infiltration and Intravenous Diclofenac vs. Intravenous Diclofenac Monotherapy After Inguinal Hernioplasty: A Retrospective Study

Background

Postoperative pain is a significant problem encountered by patients after a surgical intervention, and there is a crucial need for effective postoperative pain control. The studies have shown that multimodal analgesia and wound infiltration are effective ways to reduce this pain and have a substantial role in the reduction of postoperative medications requirement. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of subcutaneous infiltration of bupivacaine hydrochloride and intravenous (IV) diclofenac as postoperative pain relief in adults undergoing inguinal hernia repair.

Methods

A single-center retrospective study included 104 patients aged 18-65 undergoing unilateral inguinal herniorrhaphy at the selected hospital. The patients were in two groups of 52 each. Group A received a 75 mg dose of IV diclofenac plus a subcutaneous injection of 10 mL of bupivacaine hydrochloride (HCl) 0.5% while Group B only received the IV diclofenac without the bupivacaine injection. The postoperative pain was assessed at one, two, three, six, and 12 hrs after the operation using the visual analog scale (VAS), which exhibited a range of pain from zero (no pain) to 10 (extreme pain).

Results

Of a total of 104 patients, 92% of patients were male. The patients' mean age was 36 ± 11 years, and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 22 ±3 kg/m². American Society of Anesthesiologists physical class I was similar in both groups (90.4% versus 84.6%). Patients in Group A had significantly lower VAS pain scores at one, two, three, six, and 12 hrs after the operation and a longer emergence time than Group B (all p-values were < 0.001). Subcutaneous bupivacaine infiltration and IV diclofenac were also found to be an effective analgesic technique in open hernia repair with mesh (p-value < 0.001 for all).

Conclusion

Subcutaneous injection of bupivacaine combined with IV diclofenac provides superior analgesia to monotherapy intravenous diclofenac after inguinal hernia repair.

Analgesia Effect of Ultrasound-Guided Transversus Abdominis Plane Block Combined with Intravenous Analgesia After Cesarean Section: A Double-Blind Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION

Complete postoperative analgesia is very important for puerperae after cesarean section. The objective of this study was to explore the optimal postoperative analgesia after cesarean section.

METHODS

A total of 180 full-term puerperae who underwent cesarean section in Hanzhong People's Hospital from March 2019 to March 2020 were enrolled and were randomly divided into three groups. Group A was given 0.9% normal saline, group B and C were given 0.4% ropivacaine for transversus abdominis plane block (TAPB). Postoperative patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) pumps were 2 μg/kg sufentanil + 2.5 mg droperidol, 1.5 μg/kg and 1.3 μg/kg sufentanil, respectively. All puerperae were given different but effective analgesia programs. The primary outcome indicators were visual analog scores (VAS), the first compression time of postoperative analgesia pump and the total number of compressions in 48 h. The secondary outcome indicators were vital signs, Ramsay sedation scores, comfort scores (BCS), the frequency of analgesic rescue, postoperative side effects and satisfaction.

RESULTS

The dynamic and static VAS scores of the puerperae in group B at T₂ and T₆ were significantly lower than group A and at T₁₂, T₂₄ and T₄₈ were significantly lower than group C. Compared with group A, the dynamic and static VAS scores of puerperae in group C were lower at T₂ and T₆ and higher at T₁₂, T₂₄ and T₄₈. The Ramsay score and BCS score of the puerperae in group C at T₁₂, T₂₄ and T₄₈ were significantly lower than those in groups A and B.

CONCLUSIONS

PCIA with sufentanil alone or combined with TAPB can be safely and effectively used for postoperative analgesia after cesarean section. PCIA combined with TAPB had better analgesic effect and lower incidence of side effects while reducing the dose of opioids. The results of this study provide new ideas and insights for the choice of analgesia after cesarean section.

Patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with opioids after thoracoscopic lung surgery: a randomized clinical trial

Background

Opioids remain the mainstream therapy for post-surgical pain. The choice of opioids administered by patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) for thoracoscopic lung surgery is unclear. This study compared 3 opioid analgesics for achieving satisfactory analgesia with minimal emesis (SAME).

Methods

This randomized clinical trial enrolled patients scheduled for thoracoscopic lung surgery randomized to receive 1 of 3 opioids for PCIA: oxycodone (group O), hydromorphone (group H), and sufentanil (group S). The primary outcome was the proportion of subjects achieving SAME, i.e., no-to-mild pain (pain score < 4/10) with minimal nausea/vomiting (PONV score < 2/4) when coughing during the pulmonary rehabilitation exercise in the first 3 postoperative days.

Results

Of 555 enrolled patients, 184 patients in group O, 186 in group H and 184 in group S were included in the final analysis. The primary outcome of SAME was significantly different among group O, H and S (41.3% vs 40.3% vs 29.9%, P = 0.043), but no difference was observed between pairwise group comparisons. Patients in groups O and H had lower pain scores when coughing on the second day after surgery than those in group S, both with mean differences of 1 (3(3,4) and 3(3,4) vs 4(3,4), P = 0.009 and 0.039, respectively). The PONV scores were comparable between three groups (P > 0.05). There were no differences in other opioid-related side effects, patient satisfaction score, and QoR-15 score among three groups.

Conclusions

Given clinically relevant benefits detected, PCIA with oxycodone or hydromorphone is superior to sufentanil for achieving SAME as a supplement to multimodal analgesia in patients undergoing thoracoscopic lung surgery.

Trial registration

This study was registered at (ChiCTR2100045614, 19/04/2021).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12871-022-01785-4.

Acupuncture Analgesia in Patients with Postoperative Neck Pain: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. There is a yearly increase in pain after neck surgery, which is accompanied by high consumption of opioids. However, the opioid addiction epidemic is one of the most serious public health problems worldwide. Therefore, it is important to find suitable alternatives for opioids. Acupuncture therapy has been found effective for some types of pain control. This protocol aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of pain after neck surgery. Methods and Analysis. We will search eight electronic databases from their inception to April 2022. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using manual acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, or electroacupuncture as major therapy will be included, regardless of whether the study was published in Chinese or English. The selection of studies and data extraction will be independently completed by at least two experienced reviewers with a master's degree. The methodological quality of the included studies will be assessed by the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. For the meta-analysis, Review Manager Statistical (RevMan V.5.3) software will be used. The results will be presented as the risk ratio (RR) for the binary data and the mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) for the continuous data. Ethics and Dissemination. This protocol for a systematic review will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication and presented at a relevant conference, and there is no need to obtain formal ethical approval. Trial Registration Number. PROSPERO registration number CRD42021281722.

Novel Quality Improvement Targets to Address Healthcare Encounters After Pediatric Appendectomy

INTRODUCTION

Pediatric appendicitis clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) do not typically address postdischarge healthcare encounters. This study aims to examine common indications for returns to the health system to identify novel quality improvement targets.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients aged 3 to 18 y undergoing appendectomy at a single institution from July 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020. The primary outcome was physical postdischarge encounters comprising emergency department (ED) visits and hospital readmissions. Indications for each encounter were categorized and stratified by appendicitis type (i.e., simple, gangrenous, or perforated). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate association between appendicitis category and postdischarge encounters.

RESULTS

Of 434 patients, 240 (55.3%) had simple appendicitis, 77 (17.7%) gangrenous, and 117 (29.9%) perforated appendicitis. Overall, 48 patients had at least one instance of an unplanned postdischarge encounter with a total of 56 unplanned ED presentations and 24 readmissions. Perforated patients were significantly more likely to experience postdischarge ED (odds ratio 2.55; 95% confidence interval 1.29-5.02) and readmission encounters (odds ratio 6.63; 95% confidence interval 2.28-19.28). Common indications for ED encounters included abdominal pain (n = 20) with 25.0% readmitted, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., diarrhea, vomiting, distention) (n = 16) with 87.5% readmitted, and incision concerns (n = 6) with 16.7% readmitted. Common indications for readmissions included intraabdominal abscesses (n = 8) and small bowel obstruction (n = 4).

CONCLUSIONS

Assessing indications for postdischarge healthcare encounters enables identification of novel quality improvement targets, including proactively addressing incision concerns and abdominal pain.

Using a consensus acupoints regimen to explore the relationship between acupuncture sensation and lumbar spinal postoperative analgesia: A retrospective analysis of prospective clinical cooperation

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment on postoperative pain in patients with degenerative lumbar spine disease, and explored the relationship between the postoperative analgesic effect of acupuncture and the sensation of acupuncture experienced by the patients.

METHODS

This retrospective study analyzed the medical records of 97 patients who had undergone an operation by the same surgeon due to degenerative lumbar disease. These patients were divided into acupuncture group (n = 32), patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) group (n = 27), and oral analgesia group (n = 38) according to the different postoperative analgesic methods. During their hospitalization, patients completed daily evaluations of their pain using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and injection times of supplemental meperidine were recorded. Also, the Chinese version of the Massachusetts General Hospital Acupuncture Sensation Scale (C-MASS) was used in the acupuncture group.

RESULTS

Each of the three treatment groups showed significant reductions in postoperative pain, as shown by reduced VAS scores. The acupuncture group, however, had less rebound pain (P < 0.05) than the other two groups. Both the acupuncture and PCA groups experienced acute analgesic effects that were superior to those in the oral analgesia group. In addition, the higher the C-MASS index on the second day after surgery, the lower the VAS score on the fourth day after surgery. There was also a significant difference in the "dull pain" in the acupuncture sensation.

CONCLUSION

The results demonstrated that acupuncture was beneficial for postoperative pain and discomfort after simple surgery for degenerative spinal disease. It is worth noting that there was a disproportionate relevance between the patient's acupuncture sensation and the improvement of pain VAS score.