Impact of intravenous dexmedetomidine on gastrointestinal function recovery after laparoscopic hysteromyomectomy: a randomized clinical trial

Effect of intraoperative dexmedetomidine on recovery of gastrointestinal function after caesarean section undergoing spinal and epidural anesthesia: A randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

Gastrointestinal dysfunction after cesarean section negatively affects postoperative recovery. Dexmedetomidine has been shown to improve postoperative gastrointestinal function in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery and laparoscopic gastrectomy, but its role in cesarean section has not been fully elucidated. The study aimed to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on gastrointestinal function after cesarean section.

STUDY DESIGN

220 pregnant women who underwent elective cesarean section were randomized into group D and group S. Group D patients received a loading dose of 0.5 μg/kg of dexmedetomidine for 10 mins followed by a maintenance dose of 0.5 μg/kg/h intravenously immediately after the umbilical cord was cut intraoperatively, whereas the other group (group S) received an equivalent quantity of normal saline as loading and maintenance dose IV by infusion pump. The primary outcome was time to first flatus after surgery (hours). Secondary outcomes included time to first feces and first bowel sounds (hours), incidence rates of postoperative gastrointestinal complications, and the length of postoperative hospital stay (days).

RESULTS

Modified intention-to-treat analysis showed that patients in Group D had a significantly shorter time to first flatus (21 [16 to 28.25] vs. 25 [18 to 32.25] h; P = 0.014), time to first feces (45.5 [35.75 to 55.25] vs. 53 [40 to 60] h; P = 0.019), and time to first bowel sounds (P = 0.010), a lower incidence of abdominal distension (21[20.6 %] vs. 36[34.3 %], P = 0.027), shorter length of postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.010) compared to patients in Group S.

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative dexmedetomidine infusion reduces the time to first flatus, the incidence of abdominal distension, and shortens the length of hospital stay, promoting gastrointestinal function after cesarean section.

Dexmedetomidine Prevents Chronic Incisional Pain After Brain Tumor Resection: A Secondary Analysis of the Randomized Control Trial

BACKGROUND

Dexmedetomidine was reported to reduce postoperative acute pain after neurosurgery. However, the efficacy of dexmedetomidine for preventing chronic incisional pain is uncertain.

METHODS

This article is a secondary analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Eligible patients were randomly allocated to either the dexmedetomidine group or the placebo group. Patients assigned to the dexmedetomidine group were given a 0.6 μg kg -1 dexmedetomidine bolus followed by a 0.4 μg kg -1 h -1 maintenance dose until dural closure; placebo patients were given comparable amounts of normal saline. The primary end point was the incidence of incisional pain at 3 months after craniotomy evaluated by numerical rating scale scores and defined as any score >0. The secondary end points were postoperative acute pain scores, sleep quality, and Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ-2) at 3 months after craniotomy.

RESULTS

From January 2021 to December 2021, a total of 252 patients were included in the final analysis: the dexmedetomidine group (n = 128) and the placebo group (n = 124). The incidence of chronic incisional pain was 23.4% (30 of 128) in the dexmedetomidine group versus 42.7% (53 of 124) in the placebo group (risk ratio, 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.80; P = .001). The overall severity of chronic incisional pain was mild in both groups. Patients in the dexmedetomidine group had lower acute pain severity on movement than those in the placebo group for the first 3 days after surgery (all adjusted P < .01). Sleep quality did not differ between groups. However, the SF-MPQ-2 total sensory ( P = .01) and neuropathic pain descriptor ( P = .023) scores in the dexmedetomidine group were lower than those in the placebo group.

CONCLUSIONS

Prophylactic intraoperative dexmedetomidine infusion reduces the incidence of chronic incisional pain as well as acute pain score after elective brain tumor resections.

Impact of intravenous dexmedetomidine on postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery: an updated meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Postoperative ileus (POI) is a complication that may occur after abdominal or nonabdominal surgery. Intravenous dexmedetomidine (Dex) has been reported to accelerate postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery; however, updated evidence is required to confirm its robustness.

METHODS

To identify randomized controlled trials examining the effects of perioperative intravenous Dex on gastrointestinal function recovery in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library were searched on August 2023. The primary outcome was time to first flatus. Secondary outcomes included time to oral intake and defecation as well as postoperative pain scores, postoperative nausea/vomiting (PONV), risk of hemodynamic instability, and length of hospital stay (LOS). To confirm its robustness, subgroup analyses and trial sequential analysis were performed.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis of 22 randomized controlled trials with 2566 patients showed that Dex significantly reduced the time to flatus [mean difference (MD):-7.19 h, P <0.00001), time to oral intake (MD: -6.44 h, P =0.001), time to defecation (MD:-13.84 h, P =0.008), LOS (MD:-1.08 days, P <0.0001), and PONV risk (risk ratio: 0.61, P <0.00001) without differences in hemodynamic stability and pain severity compared with the control group. Trial sequential analysis supported sufficient evidence favoring Dex for accelerating bowel function. Subgroup analyses confirmed the positive impact of Dex on the time to flatus across different surgical categories and sexes. However, this benefit has not been observed in studies conducted in regions outside China.

CONCLUSIONS

Perioperative intravenous Dex may enhance postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery and reduce LOS, thereby validating its use in patients for whom postoperative ileus is a significant concern.

Effect of systemic lidocaine on postoperative quality of recovery, the gastrointestinal function, inflammatory cytokines of lumbar spinal stenosis surgery: a randomized trial

Surgery is one of the most frequent and effective intervention strategies for lumbar spinal stenosis, however, one-third of patients are not satisfied with postoperative outcomes. It is not clear whether perioperative systemic lidocaine could accelerate the early postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing lumbar spinal stenosis surgery. 66 patients were enrolled in this trial. Lidocaine or placebo was administered at a loading dose of 1.5 mg/kg for 10 min and then infused at 2.0 mg/kg/hour till the end of surgery. Continued infusion by postoperative patient-controlled intravenous analgesia with a dose of 40 mg/hour. The primary outcome was the quality of recovery. Secondary outcomes included the time of the patient's first flatus, catheter removal time, underground time from the end of the surgery, pain score, levels of inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α), postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), sufentanil rescues, patients' satisfaction scores, and complications of lidocaine. Eventually, 56 patients were in the final analysis with similar age, Body Mass Index (BMI), duration of surgery and anesthesia, and median QoR-15 score (a development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Postoperative Quality of Recovery Score). The difference in median QoR-15 score in placebo versus lidocaine patients was statistically significant (IQR, 106 (104-108) versus 114 (108.25-119.25), P < 0.001). The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score at the 12th hour, median sufentanil rescue consumption, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) of patients treatment with lidocaine were lower. Nevertheless, patients given lidocaine had high satisfaction scores. Suggesting that lidocaine enhanced the postoperative quality of recovery, met early postoperative gastrointestinal function recovery, provided superior pain relief, lessened inflammatory cytokines, etc., indicating it may be a useful intervention to aid recovery following lumbar spinal stenosis surgery.

Effect of dexmedetomidine on perioperative haemodynamics and early cognitive function in elderly patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery

Introduction

Laparoscopic minimally invasive surgery has been widely used in the diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological diseases.

Aim

To investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine on perioperative haemodynamics and cognitive function in elderly gynaecological patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery.

Material and methods

Clinical baseline characteristics, haemodynamic parameters, renin activity, norepinephrine level, cognitive function, pain level, and sedation were compared between the 2 groups.

Results

At T4 (10 min after extubation) and T5 (1 h after extubation), significant differences were found in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate between the 2 groups (p < 0.05); renin activity and norepinephrine level were much lower in the dexmedetomidine group than in the control group at T3 (10 min before extubation) and T4 (p < 0.05). One day before surgery, there were no significant differences in Mini-mental state examination (MMSE), visual analogue scale (VAS), and Ramsay scores between the 2 groups (p > 0.05), but the MMSE score 1 day after surgery and the Ramsay score at 12 h after surgery in the dexmedetomidine group were much higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). Notably, at 2, 4, 12, 24, and 48 h after surgery, the VAS score in the dexmedetomidine group was significantly lower than that in the control group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Dexmedetomidine has a better clinical effect in improving perioperative haemodynamics and early cognitive function in elderly gynaecological patients who received laparoscopic surgery.

Research Status and Prospects of Acupuncture in Perioperative Medicine Over the Past Decade: A Bibliometric Analysis

Background

Over the past decade, acupuncture in the perioperative period has attracted great interest, and a growing number of related literature has been published.

Purpose

To analyze the general information and identify the research hotspots and trends of acupuncture in perioperative medicine in the last 10 years by bibliometric analysis.

Methods

We searched the Web of Science Core Collection for publications on acupuncture in perioperative medicine from 2013 to 2023. The articles and reviews were collected with no language restriction. CiteSpace and VOSviewer software were used for bibliometric and visual analysis of relevant literature.

Results

A total of 814 bibliographic records were retrieved. Overall, the annual number of publications showed an increasing trend. China and its institutions were in a leading position regarding the publication number. With comparatively more scientific collaboration with China, the USA ranked second. Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was the most prolific institution. Ha, In-Hyuk had the most publications, and Han JS and Lee A were the most cited authors. Medicine was the most popular journal and Journal of Clinical Oncology had the highest impact factor. "Acupuncture", "electroacupuncture" and "postoperative pain" were the top three keywords. The most popular topics were postoperative pain, postoperative ileus, and postoperative nausea and vomiting according to the keywords and references. And the clusters of postoperative cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, and breast cancer attracted relatively more attention recently.

Conclusion

This study summarized the research status, hotspots, and trends of acupuncture in perioperative medicine in the past decade, which may aid researchers in better understanding this field. The research hotspots primarily focused on postoperative pain management and postoperative gastrointestinal function. The research of acupuncture for postoperative cognitive dysfunction, cancer-related surgery, and psychological states were the main frontiers topics and may be the focus in the future.

Effects of Dexmedetomidine on Systemic Inflammation and Postoperative Complications in Laparoscopic Pancreaticoduodenectomy: A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) may induce intense inflammatory response which might be related to the patient's outcomes. Clinical dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been widely used for opioid-sparing anesthesia and satisfactory sedation. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of DEX on inflammatory response and postoperative complications in LPD.

METHODS

Ninety-nine patients undergoing LPD were randomly assigned to two groups: normal saline (NS) and DEX. The primary outcome was the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) differences postoperatively within 48 h. Secondary outcomes were postoperative complications, the length of postoperative hospital stay and the incidence of ICU admission. Other outcomes included anesthetics consumption and intraoperative vital signs.

RESULTS

NLR at postoperative day 2 to baseline ratio decreased significantly in the DEX group (P = 0.032). Less major complications were observed in the DEX group such as pancreatic fistula, delayed gastric emptying and intra-abdominal infection (NS vs. DEX, 21.7% vs. 13.6%, P = 0.315; 10.9% vs. 2.3%, P = 0.226; 17.4% vs. 11.4%, P = 0.416, respectively) though there were no statistical differences. Three patients were transferred to the ICU after surgery in the NS group, while there was none in the DEX group (P = 0.242). The median postoperative hospital stay between groups were similar (P = 0.313). Both intraoperative propofol and opioids were less in the DEX group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Intraoperative DEX reduced the early postoperative inflammatory response in LPD. It also reduced the use of narcotics that may related to reduced major complications, which need additional research further.