The efficacy of ketamine for postoperative pain control in adolescent patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery for idiopathic scoliosis

Opioid Utilization After Scoliosis Surgery is Greater in Marfan Syndrome Than Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective matched case cohort.

OBJECTIVE

Compare postoperative opioid utilization and prescribing behaviors between patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) and adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) after posterior spinal fusion (PSF).

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Opioids are an essential component of pain management after PSF. However, due to the potential for opioid use disorder and dependence, current analgesic strategies aim to minimize their use, especially in younger patients. Limited information exists on opioid utilization after PSF for syndromic scoliosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Twenty adolescents undergoing PSF with MFS were matched with patients with AIS (ratio, 1:2) by age, sex, degree of spinal deformity, and the number of vertebral levels fused. Inpatient and outpatient pharmaceutical data were reviewed for the quantity and duration of opioid and adjunct medications. Prescriptions were converted to morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) using CDC's standard conversion factor.

RESULTS

Compared with patients with AIS, patients with MFS had significantly greater total inpatient MME use (4.9 vs . 2.1 mg/kg, P ≤ 0.001) and longer duration of intravenous patient-controlled anesthesia (3.4 vs . 2.5 d, P = 0.001). Within the first 2 postop days, MFS patients had more patient-controlled anesthesia boluses (91 vs . 52 boluses, P = 0.01) despite similar pain scores and greater use of adjunct medications. After accounting for prior opioid use, MFS was the only significant predictor of requesting an opioid prescription after discharge (odds ratio: 4.1, 95% CI: 1.1-14.9, P = 0.03). Patients with MFS were also more likely to be discharged with a more potent prescription (1.0 vs . 0.72 MME per day/kg, P ≤ 0.001) and to receive a longer-duration prescription (13 vs . 8 d, P = 0.005) with a greater MME/kg (11.6 vs . 5.6 mg/kg, P ≤ 0.001) as outpatients.

CONCLUSION

Despite a similar intervention, patients with MFS and AIS seem to differ in their postoperative opioid usage after PSF, presenting an opportunity for further research to assist clinicians in better anticipating the analgesic needs of individual patients, particularly in light of the ongoing opioid epidemic.

Nausea and Vomiting After Posterior Spinal Fusion in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic and Critical Analysis Review

BACKGROUND

Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) affects patient satisfaction, health care costs, and hospital stay by complicating the postoperative recovery period after adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) spinal fusion surgery. Our goal was to identify recommendations for optimal management of PONV in AIS patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion (PSF).

METHODS

We performed a systematic review in June 2022, searching the PubMed and Embase electronic databases using search terms "(Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis) AND (Postoperative) AND (Nausea) AND (Vomiting)." Three authors reviewed the 402 abstracts identified from January 1991 to June 2022. Studies that included adolescents or young adults (<21 years) with AIS undergoing PSF were selected for full-text review by consensus. We identified 34 studies reporting on incidence of PONV. Only 6 studies examined PONV as the primary outcome, whereas remaining were reported PONV as a secondary outcome. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Grades of recommendation were assigned to potential interventions or clinical practice influencing incidence of PONV with respect to operative period (preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative period) on the basis that potential guidelines/interventions for PONV can be targeted at those periods.

RESULTS

A total of 11 factors were graded, 5 of which were related to intervention and 6 were clinical practice-related. Eight factors could be classified into the operative period-1 in the intraoperative period and 7 in the postoperative period, whereas the remaining 3 recommendations had overlapping periods. The majority of grades of recommendations given were inconclusive or conflicting. The statement that neuraxial and postoperative systemic-only opioid therapy have a similar incidence of PONV was supported by good (Grade A) evidence. There was fair (Grade B) and poor evidence (Grade C) to avoid opioid antagonists and nonopioid local analgesia using wound catheters as PONV-reducing measures.

CONCLUSION

Although outcomes after spinal fusion for AIS have been studied extensively, the literature on PONV outcomes is scarce and incomplete. PONV is most commonly included as a secondary outcome in studies related to pain management. This study is the first to specifically identify evidence and recommendations for interventions or clinical practice that influence PONV in AIS patients undergoing PSF. Most interventions and clinical practices have conflicting or limited data to support them, whereas others have low-level evidence as to whether the intervention/clinical practice influences the incidence of PONV. We have identified the need for expanded research using PONV as a primary outcome in patients with AIS undergoing spinal fusion surgery.

Meta-analysis of the efficacy of ketamine in postoperative pain control in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients undergoing spinal fusion

PURPOSE

In this meta-analysis, we aim to compare ketamine use versus a control group (saline solution) during induction of anesthesia in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients undergoing fusion surgery in terms of postoperative opioid consumption, pain control, and side effects.

METHODS

A PubMed search of studies published over the last 20 years using the descriptor/terms "ketamine AND scoliosis" was performed. Baseline characteristics of each article were obtained and efficacy measures analyzed (morphine equivalent treatment at 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively, complications (vomiting/nausea and pruritus), length of hospital stay (days); and pain score (VAS)) (Review Manager 5.4 software package).

RESULTS

Five randomized clinical trials were included. Morphine administration showed statistically significant differences at 24 and 48 h (MD - 0.15, 95% CI - 0.18 to - 0.12) and (MD - 0.26, 95% CI - 0.31 to - 0.21) between the ketamine and control (saline solution), respectively. No intergroup differences were found regarding nausea/vomiting and pruritus (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.67) and (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.31 to 1.62), respectively, same as for the pain score (MD - 0.75, 95% CI - 1.71 to 0.20).

CONCLUSIONS

The use intraoperative and postoperative continuous low doses of ketamine significantly reduces opioid use throughout the first 48 h in patients with AIS who undergo posterior spinal fusion.

Pediatric Neuroanesthesia — a Review of the Recent Literature

Purpose of Review

Pediatric neuroanesthesia is a growing and still challenging subspecialty. The purpose of this review is to summarize the available knowledge and highlight the most recent findings of the literature on non-traumatic pediatric neuroanesthesia care.

Recent Findings

Several human studies have confirmed the negative effects of early life anesthetic exposure. According to non-human studies, volatile anesthetics and opioids contribute to tumor progression. Tranexamic acid effectively reduces perioperative blood loss; it is used in several different doses without standard guidelines on optimal dosing. The widespread use of neuromonitoring has necessitated the development of anesthetic methods that do not affect neuromuscular transmission.

Summary

Pediatric anesthetic neurotoxicity, management of intraoperative bleeding, and the effect of anesthesia on tumor growth are among the most debated and researched topics in pediatric neuroanesthesia. The lack of evidence and clinical guidelines underlines the need for further large prospective studies in this subspecialty.

Postoperative analgesia for complex spinal surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Complex spinal surgery is associated with significant postoperative pain. The purpose of this paper is to review recent literature on postoperative pain management in adult and adolescent patients having complex spinal surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

We conducted a literature search using the Medline database for relevant publications from 2020 to 2022 on postoperative pain after complex spinal surgery. Although opioids remain the mainstay to manage pain after complex spinal surgery, they are associated with adverse effects. Multimodal analgesia may be used to reduce these adverse effects by combining different drugs targeting different parts of the pain pathway. Recent publications suggest continuous low dose fentanyl or morphine infusion, methadone, intravenous paracetamol and ibuprofen, ketorolac, ketamine, magnesium infusion, lidocaine infusion and dexmedetomidine appear to be effective and safe to manage pain after complex spinal surgery. Regional techniques including bilateral erector spinae block, interfascial plane block and intrathecal morphine also appear to be effective and safe.

SUMMARY

Pain management after complex spinal surgery remains challenging. Therefore, further studies are still required to determine the optimal multimodal analgesic regimen for these patients.

Opioid Sparing Analgesics in Spine Surgery

Combinations of various nonopioid analgesics have been used to decrease pain and opioid consumption postoperatively allowing for faster recovery, improved patient satisfaction, and decreased morbidity. These opioid alternatives include acetaminophen, NSAIDs, COX-2 specific inhibitors, gabapentinoids, local anesthetics, dexamethasone, and ketamine. Each of these drugs presents its own advantages and disadvantages which can make it difficult to implement universally. In addition, ambiguous administration guidelines for these nonopioid analgesics lead to a difficult implementation of standardization protocols in spine surgery. A focus on the efficacy of different pain modalities specifically within spine surgery was implemented to assist with this standardized protocol endeavor and to educate surgeons on limiting opioid prescribing in the postoperative period. The purpose of this review article is to investigate the various opioid sparing medications that have been used to decrease morbidity in spine surgery and better assist surgeons in managing postoperative pain. Methods. A narrative review of published literature was conducted using the search function in Google scholar and PubMed was used to narrow down search criteria. The keywords “analgesics,” “spine,” and “pain” were used.

Statistical Fragility of Ketamine Infusion during Scoliosis Surgery to Reduce Opioid Tolerance and Postoperative Pain

OBJECTIVE

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have come under scrutiny due to a frequent lack of reproducibility, due in part to shortcomings of the common p<0.05 threshold for significance. Here, we utilize fragility indices to assess the statistical robustness of RCTs evaluating low-dose ketamine during scoliosis surgery to reduce opioid tolerance and postoperative pain.

METHODS

RCTs evaluating outcomes after intraoperative ketamine infusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients were included. Relevant outcomes included pain, opioid consumption, quality of life, anesthesia, sedation, adverse effects, and length of stay. The dichotomous or continuous fragility index (FI or CFI) was determined by manipulating each outcome event until reversal of significance (a=0.05) was achieved. The corresponding fragility quotients (FQ) were calculated by dividing the FI or CFI by the sample size.

RESULTS

Of 27 studies screened, 6 studies (61 outcome events) were included. The median FI for dichotomous events was 2.0 (FQ=0.045), suggesting that altering the outcome of only 2 patients (or 4.5 out of 100) would reverse trial significance. For continuous events, altering the treatment of only 6 patients (or 14.1 out of 100) would reverse significance. Outcome events that were originally reported as significant (p<0.05) were considerably more fragile (FI=1.5; CFI=3.5) than events that were reported as nonsignificant (FI=2.0; CFI=7.0).

CONCLUSIONS

While evidence for ketamine use is promising, our fragility analysis suggests that RCT findings may be underpowered in some cases. Given the importance of RCTs in clinical decision-making, fragility indices should be reported alongside p-values to indicate the strength of statistical findings.

Perioperative Low-Dose Ketamine for Postoperative Pain Management in Spine Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Objective

Although low-dose ketamine has been shown to be generally beneficial in terms of pain control in a variety of major surgery, there is no consensus regarding the effectiveness of supplemental ketamine analgesic use exclusively in spine surgery. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was to assess the efficacy and safety of perioperative low-dose ketamine for pain management and analgesic consumption in patients undergoing spine surgery.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was performed for relevant studies using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. Patients who received perioperative low-dose ketamine were compared to the control group in terms of postoperative pain intensity, opioid consumption, and adverse events. Patients were further categorized by ages and administration times for subgroup analysis.

Results

A total of 30 RCTs comprising 1,865 patients undergoing elective spine surgery were included. Significantly lower pain intensity and less opioid consumption at 12 h, 24 h, and 48 h postoperatively and lower incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) were observed in the ketamine group (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference of central nervous system (CNS) adverse events between groups. However, different efficacy of low-dose ketamine was detected when patients were categorized by ages and administration times.

Conclusion

Perioperative low-dose ketamine demonstrated analgesic and morphine-sparing effect with no increased adverse events after spine surgery. However, this effect was not significant in pediatric patients. Only postoperative or intraoperative and postoperative administration could prolong the analgesic time up to 48 h postoperatively. Further studies should focus on the optimal protocol of ketamine administration and its effect on old age participants.

Multimodal Analgesia in the Era of the Opioid Epidemic

This article attempts to review the key components of a multimodal analgesic regimen for the treatment of acute pain. Adhering to these key components will help reduce the opioid burden to surgical patients while reducing acute pain. As well, this regimen is intended to reduce further negative contributions to the opioid crisis.

Acute Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction (Ogilvie Syndrome) After Primary Spinal Fusion: An Analysis of Outcomes and Risk Factors from 2005 to 2014

BACKGROUND

Ogilvie syndrome (OS) is a rare but serious condition seen in the postoperative period. This was an epidemiologic study using data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2005 to 2014 to look at incidence, risk factors, and outcomes associated with OS after primary spine fusion.

METHODS

International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes were used to identify patients who underwent spine fusion surgery. Patients were separated into 2 cohorts based on the diagnosis of OS. Outcome measures and risk factors for cohorts were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression and compared.

RESULTS

Over the 10-year study period, 3,884,395 patients underwent primary spine fusion surgery. Among these, 0.04% developed OS during the index hospitalization. The greatest incidence seen in primary fusion involved the thoracic spine (0.15%). OS was more common after spine fusion for spine deformity (P < 0.001). Patients with OS were more likely to be men (P < 0.001), older (P < 0.0001), and have more comorbidities (P < 0.0001). Patients with OS were more likely to require postoperative blood transfusions (odds ratio [OR], 3.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.51-4.59; P < 0.001) and sustain any complication (OR, 4.20; 95% CI, 3.17-5.57; P < 0.001). Patients with OS had a longer length of stay (15.7 vs. 3.9 days; P < 0.001) and increased average hospitalization cost ($63,037.03 vs. $26,792.19; P < 0.001). The development of OS was associated with fluid electrolyte disorder (OR, 4.06; 95% CI, 2.99-5.51; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

OS is a rare but serious complication of primary spine fusion surgery. Identifying the specific risk factors, symptoms, and potential complications related to OS is critical to aid in decreasing the significant morbidity associated with its development.

Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block for postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE:

This study aimed to investigate the effects on postoperative pain of ketamine and dexmedetomidine addition to bupivacaine in a transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

METHODS:

A retrospective study was conducted patients who underwent ultrasound-guided TAP block in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patients were divided into three groups: Group BD (Bupivacaine+Dexmedetomidine), Group BK (Bupivacaine+Ketamine), and Group B (Bupivacaine). Our primary outcomes were pain scores with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), postoperative first analgesic time and tramadol consumption in 24 hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were intraoperative hemodynamic changes, rescue analgesic requirement and side effects.

RESULTS:

The first analgesic administration time was significantly shorter in Group B and significantly longer in Group BD than the other two groups. Pain score at rest in Group B at 0^th hours was significantly higher than that of Group BD and VAS pain score Group BD at 2^nd hours was significantly lower than the other two groups. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding tramadol consumption and the requirement of rescue analgesics.

CONCLUSION:

Dexmedetomidine and ketamine can be added to the bupivacaine for the TAP block without major side-effects. The combination of dexmedetomidine and bupivacaine provides better analgesia in the first postoperative 2^nd hour than other groups and hence extends the time to the first analgesic demand.

Enhanced recovery after surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis

BACKGROUND

Few publications in the literature examine enhanced recovery after scoliosis surgery (ERAS) in children, despite significant scientific interest in adults. The objective of the current study was to describe an ERAS protocol for surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and its results.

METHODS

ERAS outcomes were measured in two patient cohorts. Historical controls and ERAS groups were selected from patients managed for scoliosis surgery in 2015 and 2018, respectively. The ERAS protocol included fasting minimization, carbohydrate loading, the avoidance of background morphine infusions, perioperative opioid-sparing protocols, the use of a cooling brace, early physiotherapy, feeding and oral medications, and the early removal of urinary catheters and surgical drains. The main outcome of the study was hospital length of stay.

RESULTS

Overall, 82 controls and 81 ERAS patients were recruited. ERAS protocols were observed in over 80% of patients for almost items. Median length of hospital stay was significantly lower in the ERAS group (- 3 [95% confidence interval: -2; -4] days). Median morphine consumption was reduced by 25% and 35% on days 2 and 3, respectively. The incidence of PONV did not differ between the two groups, and the incidence of constipation decreased slightly but significantly in the ERAS group on day 2. Pain intensity at rest and movement were lower in the ERAS group at day 2 and 3.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study suggests an ERAS protocol after adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery is associated with reduced hospital length of stay and improved postoperative care.

Analgesic effects of low-dose ketamine after spinal fusion in adults: A protocol of prospective randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Patients with spinal fusion often have opioid tolerance and chronic pain, which makes it difficult to control postoperative pain. In this double-blind, randomized, prospective study, we assessed the safety and efficacy of intravenous low-dose ketamine for the treatment of pain in patients undergoing the lumbar spinal fusion.

METHODS

This randomized, prospective, double-blind and placebo-controlled study was approved via the hospital institutional review committee. Patients were registered with signed written consent. All the floor nurses, recovery room and surgeons, patients, statisticians as well as research assistants were unaware of the grouping. The patients were randomly divided into ketamine group and control group by random number table. Nausea, vomiting or vomiting, the intensity of pain, adverse events, cumulative morphine consumption, as well as the amount of extra antiemetics or analgesics were evaluated at 6 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours, 36 hours, and 48 hours after the operation. P < .05 was considered to be the statistically significant. The Statistical Package for the software of Social Sciences 20.0 was utilized for statistical analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

For the present trial, we assumed that intravenous ketamine could improve the satisfaction of patient by reducing the total consumption of morphine equivalent and the pain scores.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This study protocol was registered in Research Registry (researchregistry5896).