Exploring Opioid-Sparing Multimodal Analgesia Options in Trauma: A Nursing Perspective

Anesthesia for the Patient Undergoing Knee Procedures

Anesthesia for patients undergoing knee procedures encompasses a large patient population with significant variation in patient age, comorbidities, and type of surgery. In addition, these procedures are performed in vastly different surgical environments, including large academic hospitals, private hospitals, and out-patient surgical centers. These variabilities require a thoughtful and individualized anesthetic approach tailored toward the medical and surgical needs of each patient. This article discusses anesthetic approaches to patients with acute, subacute, and chronic knee-related pathology requiring surgery. We will also review pertinent knee anatomy and innervation and discuss regional nerve blocks and their applications to knee-related surgical procedures.

Alleviating severity of limb trauma pain with coadministration of topical sesame oil and standard treatments: A GRADE-assessed systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Recent randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have investigated the analgesic activity of sesame oil among patients with limb trauma; nevertheless, their findings are inconsistent. Hence, this review aimed to clarify the impact of topical administration of sesame oil on acute pain of adult outpatients with minor limb trauma. The online databases (e.g., Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science) were searched up to 31 January 2024. The RCTs were included if they compared the effect of applying standard treatments plus topical sesame oil to administering standard treatments alone or with a placebo/sham treatment. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) and the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool were applied to address the evidence quality and the study's methodological rigour, respectively. Four RCTs had the inclusion criteria, and their findings were pooled in a meta-analysis employing a random-effects approach. According to the pooled analysis, the reduction in mean change of the pain score from baseline to the second/third intervention day was significantly higher in favour of clients who received standard care plus daily massage of the trauma site with sesame oil compared to those who received a control condition (weighted mean difference: -1.10; 95% confidence interval [-1.62, -0.57]; p < 0.001). However, the evidence quality was moderate, and only two studies had good methodological rigour. Hence, more high-quality studies are needed to make a solid evidence-based conclusion about the favourable consequence of topical sesame oil on alleviating acute traumatic limb pain.

OPIOID FREE GENERAL ANESTHESIA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE - A REVIEW ARTICLE

Currently, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are multimodal perioperative care pathways with the goal to achieve early patient recovery after surgery with minimal postoperative complications. According to studies, opioid free general anesthesia has many perioperative benefits and should be part of the ERAS protocols in specific surgical and patient indications. Opioid free general anesthesia is a multimodal balanced technique that is based on the concept that opioids are not used preoperatively or intraoperatively until the patient has aroused. The basic concept of opioid free general anesthesia is intravenous administration of several nonopioid drugs that operate at different pharmacological sites blocking surgical stress and sympathetic activation response. Moreover, current studies have shown that opioid free anesthesia is a technique which satisfactorily controls postoperative pain as the fifth vital sign, and has minimal side effects and better patient recovery with the same surgical conditions as general multimodal balanced anesthesia. However, further research is needed.

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.

The Opioid-Sparing Effect of Acupuncture After Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol

Purpose

Routine overprescribing of postoperative opioid analgesics may induce side effects and correlate with chronic opioid use following surgery. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of acupuncture for opioid-sparing effects in patients who underwent abdominal surgery.

Methods

Eleven databases in different languages, including English (Ovid MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE, CINAHL), Chinese, Korean, and Japanese, will be searched. Randomized controlled trials using acupuncture for postoperative pain control in adult patients undergoing abdominal surgery will be screened. All randomized controlled trials comparing acupuncture with no treatment, sham acupuncture, and conventional treatments will be included. The Cochrane risk of bias tool will be used to assess the risk of bias. The primary outcome will consist of a cumulative opioid consumption. Additionally, the number of cumulative opioid analgesic demands/requests, the time to initial opioid analgesic usage, postoperative pain, opioid-related side effects, and adverse events of acupuncture will be assessed. The mean differences or risk ratios with a 95% confidence interval will be calculated to estimate the pooled effect of acupuncture when it is possible to conduct a meta-analysis.

Results

This study could confirm the effect of opioid-sparing on acupuncture after abdominal surgery.

Conclusion

This study would evaluate the evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture after abdominal surgery with a focus on opioid intake. It provides evidence to support decision-making on applying acupuncture for postoperative management.

Registration Number

CRD42022311155.

The First Comprehensive Survey of the Practice of Postoperative Pain Management in Hungarian Hospitals - a Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND

Pain management is a key issue in health care. Providers adopt promising technological developments, like Acute Pain Service, at differing speeds, with countries, such as the USA and Germany taking the lead. Where Hungary stands is unknown, as the practice of pain management has not yet been comprehensively reviewed in that country.

AIM

To explore the practice of postoperative pain management in Hungarian hospitals by addressing the questions of who is responsible for it, who measures pain and how, what kind of pain relief technologies are used, and who takes care of patients during duty hours.

METHODS

We carried out a survey covering Hungarian hospitals with operational license for surgery, traumatology, orthopedics and anesthesiology between December 2019 and March 2020. The response rate was 72%, and we analyzed 135 questionnaires.

RESULTS

We identified only 2 hospitals with an Acute Pain Service. In the majority of hospitals, the attending physician orders pain relief therapy. During duty hours the surgeon on duty takes care of pain management in 52.1% of the cases. Among pain relief therapies, intravenous infusions (74.1%) and oral medication (67.4%) are the most frequent. Ward nurses measure postoperative pain (77.8%) with unidimensional scales. According to 59.7% of the respondents, pain is not measured and documented at rest. Written protocols are available in 34.4% of the departments.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with other countries, pain management in Hungary lags behind with significant room for improvement. Development and implementation of pain management protocols with appropriate education is the key intervention point.

Opioid prescribing practices in trauma patients at discharge: An exploratory retrospective chart analysis

This study examined the opioid prescribing patterns at discharge in the trauma center of a major Canadian hospital and compared them to the guidelines provided by the Illinois surgical quality improvement collaborative (ISQIC), a framework that has been recognized as being associated with reduced risk. This was a retrospective chart review of patient data from the trauma registry between January 1, 2018, and October 31, 2019. A total of 268 discharge charts of naïve opioid patients were included in the analysis. A Morphine Milligram Equivalents per day (MME/day) was computed for each patient who was prescribed opioids and compared with standard practice guidelines. About 75% of patients were prescribed opioids. More males (75%) than females (25%) were prescribed opioids to patients below 65 years old (91%). Best practice guidelines were followed in most cases. Only 16.6% of patients were prescribed over 50 mg MME/day, the majority (80.9%) were prescribed opioids for =<3 days and only 1% for >7 days. Only 7.5% were prescribed extended-release opioids and none were strong like fentanyl. Patients received a multimodal approach with alternatives to opioids in 88.9% of cases and 82.9% had a plan for opioid discontinuation. However, only 23.6% received an acute pain service referral. The majority of the prescriptions provided adhered to the best practice guidelines outlined by the ISQIC framework. These results are encouraging with respect to the feasibility of implementing opioid prescription guidelines effectively. However, routine monitoring is necessary to ensure that adherence is maintained.

Multimodal analgesia is superior to opiates alone after tibial fracture in patients with substance abuse history

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of multimodal analgesia in patients with a tibial shaft fracture. Design: Retrospective review. Setting: Large, urban, academic center. Patients: One hundred thirty-eight patients were evaluated before implementation of multimodal analgesia. Thirty-four patients were evaluated after implementation. All patients were treated operatively with internal fixation for their tibial shaft fracture. Patients with polytrauma were excluded. Intervention: Multimodal analgesia. Main Outcome Measures: Pain levels at rest and with movement were assessed. Morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) dosed per patient were calculated each day. Length of stay was also documented. Results: After implementation of a multimodal analgesic program, there was a statistically significant decrease in pain score at rest (4.7-4.0, P = 0.034) and with movement (5.8-4.8, P = 0.007). MMEs dosed in the multimodal analgesic program correlated with pain score (R² = 0.5), whereas before implementation of the program, MMEs dosed were not dependent on pain score (R² = 0.007). Patients with a history of substance abuse had the most profound effect from this paradigm change. For those with a history of substance abuse, treatment of pain using a multimodal approach reduces MMEs dosed and length of stay (5.7-3.1 days, P = 0.016). Conclusions: Multimodal analgesia improves patient pain scores both at rest and during movement. In patients with a history of substance abuse, multimodal analgesia not only decreases pain but also decreases length of stay and MMEs dosed to levels consistent with someone who does not have a substance abuse history. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III.

Pain Management of Acute and Chronic Postoperative Pain

Inadequate management of acute postoperative pain is associated with effects related to both physiological and psychological function. Postoperative pain increases the risk of perioperative complications, so postoperative pain should be prevented. Postoperative pain management by sufficient analgesia is important while considering the use of various kinds of analgesics. Insufficient management of postoperative pain may lead to chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP). It is suggested that CPSP is dependent not only upon biological factors but also upon psychological factors, including the type of surgery, age, physical health, mental health, and preoperative pain. As CPSP is a severe complication that may prolong hospitalization and interferes with activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life (QoL), its prevention of development is paramount. Therefore, in order to prevent the onset of CPSP, it is necessary to craft analgesic management to prevent CPSP during the perioperative period.

Anesthesia for the Patient Undergoing Knee Procedures

Anesthesia for patients undergoing knee procedures encompasses a large patient population with significant variation in patient age, comorbidities, and type of surgery. In addition, these procedures are performed in vastly different surgical environments, including large academic hospitals, private hospitals, and out-patient surgical centers. These variabilities require a thoughtful and individualized anesthetic approach tailored toward the medical and surgical needs of each patient. This article discusses anesthetic approaches to patients with acute, subacute, and chronic knee-related pathology requiring surgery. We will also review pertinent knee anatomy and innervation and discuss regional nerve blocks and their applications to knee-related surgical procedures.

Modified protocol for Enhanced Recovery After Surgery is beneficial for achalasia patients undergoing peroral endoscopic myotomy: a randomized prospective trial

Introduction

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols have been proven to promote postoperative recovery. However, limited evidence is available on ERAS protocols in patients undergoing peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM).

Aim

To study the safety and effectiveness of an ERAS protocol in terms of the standard postoperative length of stay (LOS) and QoR-15 (Quality of Recovery) score of patients undergoing POEM.

Material and methods

Eighty patients were randomly divided into the ERAS or conventional group. The ERAS group received ERAS management, while the conventional group received normal management. The ERAS protocol included sufficient preoperative education, shortening time of preoperative fasting, maintaining intraoperative normothermia, intraoperative fluid management, and improving analgesia. We compared the results between the two groups in term of standard postoperative LOS and cost, QoR-15 score, postoperative pain and complications.

Results

Patients showed an improvement in the ERAS group in terms of earlier readiness for hospital discharge (40.21 ±8.42 h vs. 48.63 ±10.42 h; p < 0.001), earlier resumption of oral feeding (31.80 ±8.7 h vs. 42.35 ±10.80 h; p < 0.001), lower VAS, and higher QoR-15 score (139.29 ±2.21 vs. 137.03 ±3.77; p = 0.002) on postoperative day 2. For post-operative complications, there was no significant difference between the two groups.

Conclusions

The ERAS protocol is feasible and safe for POEM, and may decrease standard postoperative LOS, shorten recovery of gastrointestinal function, and improve postoperative patient satisfaction.

Opioids: Understanding How Acute Actions Impact Chronic Consequences

In the last decade, critical-care nurses have seen a surge in acute opioid overdose admissions to intensive care units; there have also been significant increases in intensive care unit admissions due to opioid-related illness such as dependence, tolerance, and hyperalgesia. Despite these issues, opioids continue to be the criterion standard of pain management, and the search for opioid alternatives has not produced a clear replacement. A contributor to this problem has been the prevailing opinion that once bound to a receptor, all opioids engaged in the same types of intracellular signaling, which resulted in the same types of responses, only differing in the magnitude of those responses. Contemporary research with G-protein-coupled receptor models (eg, opioids) has demonstrated that this oversimplification is incorrect or incomplete. Understanding the complexity of opioid pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics helps us to grasp the intricacies of opioid-related adverse effects. Although there are many potential adverse effects related to opioids, this review focuses on the major adverse effects commonly seen in critical care, namely, respiratory depression, tolerance, hyperalgesia, and central sensitization. In addition, a case study has been incorporated to aid in understanding of strategies nurses can incorporate into their practices: that help mitigate the development of these effects.

The Expanding Role of the COX Inhibitor/Opioid Receptor Agonist Combination in the Management of Pain

Pain management in both outpatient and inpatient settings demands a multidisciplinary approach entailing medical, physical and psychological therapies. Among these, multimodal analgesic regimens stand out as a promising treatment options. Cyclo-oxygenase (COX) inhibitor/opioid receptor agonist combinations hold great potential as effective pillars in the multimodal pain management by providing adequate analgesia with fewer safety risks due to COX inhibitors’ opioid-sparing effect. Thus, these combinations, either freely or in fixed-dose formulation, offer a feasible option for the prescribing clinicians who seek to maximise therapeutic effect while simultaneously minimise adverse effects. The selection of the appropriate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) and opioid agent at optimal doses is essential. It should be tailored to the patients’ analgesic necessities, and his/her gastrointestinal and cardiovascular risk, and potential concurrent aspirin use. Moreover, it should allow for addiction risk and the potential opioid-induced bowel dysfunction and constipation. To ensure an optimal match between the characteristics of the patient and the properties of the chosen medication, and to guide adequate and well-tolerated treatment decisions, it is of paramount importance to expand clinicians’ knowledge of the currently available COX inhibitor/opioid receptor agonist combinations. This invited narrative review deals with the literature evidence covering the components of multimodal opioid-sparing analgesic regimens. Also, it provides insights into the clinically relevant choice criteria to ensure a patient-tailored analgesia.

Underutilization of Acetaminophen in Older Adult Trauma Patients

INTRODUCTION

Older adults are more vulnerable to opioid-associated morbidity. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and timing of acetaminophen and opioid use in the postoperative period.

METHODS

Older adult trauma patients (≥65 years) with hip fractures requiring femur or hip fixation were reviewed (Premier Database 2008-2014). We examined rates of acetaminophen use on the day of surgery and prior to receipt of oral opioids. Mixed-effects linear regression models were used to examine the effects of an acetaminophen-first approach on opioid use the day prior to and on the day of discharge.

RESULTS

Of the 192 768 patients, 81.6% were Caucasian; 74.0% were female; and the mean age was 82.0 years [± 7.0]. Only 16.8% (32 291) of patients received acetaminophen prior to being prescribed opioids. 27.4% (52 779) received an acetaminophen-opioid combination, and 9.2% (17 730) received opioids without acetaminophen first. Acetaminophen first was associated with reduced opioid use on the day prior to and on the day of discharge (3.52 parenteral morphine equivalent doses (PMEs) less [95% CI: 3.33, 3.70]; P < .0001). A statistically but not clinically significant reduction in length of stay was observed in the acetaminophen-first group.

CONCLUSION

Nearly 37% of older adult patients did not receive acetaminophen as first-line analgesia after hip surgery. Multimodal analgesia, including non-opioid medications as first-line, should be encouraged.

Dexmedetomidine as an adjunctive analgaesic in the perioperative setting: A review of the literature

Though arguably past the initial phase of the opioid epidemic, opioid-sparing or opioid-eliminating pain management regimens remain beneficial for patients and practitioners alike. Providing adequate analgaesia without relying on opioids is especially advantageous in the operative setting, as patients may be able to recover without deep levels of sedation or the need for a high amount of opioid medications. Despite being used primarily as a sedative over the past 20 years, dexmedetomidine, a centrally acting alpha₂-agonist, possesses analgaesic properties, though its use has been limited by its well-described cardiovascular suppressive effects. The objective of this review was to determine the efficacy and safety of adjunctive dexmedetomidine for the purposes of analgaesia in the perioperative setting.

Optimizing Pain Control and Minimizing Opioid Use in Trauma Patients

Adverse effects of opioids and the ongoing crisis of opioid abuse have prompted providers to reduce prescribing opioids and increase use of multiple nonpharmacologic therapies, nonopioid analgesics, and co-analgesics for pain management in trauma patients. Nonopioid agents, including acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gabapentinoids, ketamine, central α2 agonists, and lidocaine, can be used as adjuncts or alternatives to opioids in the trauma population. Complementary therapies such as acupuncture, virtual reality, and mirror therapy are modalities that also may be helpful in reducing pain. Performing pain assessments is fundamental to identify pain and evaluate treatment effectiveness in the critically ill trauma patient. The efficacy, safety, and availability of opioid-sparing therapies and multimodal pain regimens are reviewed.

Measures and Effects of Pain Management for Wound Dressing Change in Outpatient Children in Western China

Purpose

The present study investigated the pain management of wound dressing change in outpatient children in western China, and the results may provide a reference to improve the pain management of wound dressing change.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was performed to investigate the pain management of wound dressing change in outpatient children in western China. A total of 47 hospitals were selected via convenience sampling, and the pain management organization systems, concrete measures and barriers to adequate pain management of these hospitals were investigated.

Results

More than 70% of these hospitals had established pain management systems, analgesic drug management norms and wound care teams. Nurses were the primary providers for wound dressing change in 48.94% of the hospitals. The assessment, documentation or health education of the pain was not standard in 46.81% of the hospitals. Drug and non-drug analgesia measures were used in most hospitals, however, children did not receive adequate analgesia in 70% of the hospitals. Ibuprofen (30.49%) and lidocaine (29.27%) were commonly used analgesic drugs, and distraction (43.01%) was commonly used as a non-drug analgesia measure. The top three barriers to adequate pain management were medical staff lacking analgesic knowledge (82.98%), family members refusing to use analgesics (61.70%) and low compliance of children (55.32%).

Conclusion

The concrete measures for the management of wound dressing pain in children are not standardized, and the analgesic effect is poor. In order to improve the pain management of children, Standardized procedures for pain management (pain assessment, analgesia measures, pain documentation and health education) should be strictly followed during wound dressing change, and the identified barriers should be addressed.

Ultrasound-guided transmuscular quadratus lumborum block reduced postoperative opioids consumptions in patients after laparoscopic hepatectomy: a three-arm randomized controlled trial

Background

To investigate whether transmuscular quadratus lumborum block (TQLB) combined with oxycodone-based patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) compared with sufentanil-based patient-controlled intravenous analgesia could reduce postoperative pain and opioid consumption in patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy.

Methods

Eighty patients undergoing laparoscopic hepatectomy surgery were randomly divided into Group S (Sufentanil for PCIA group), Group O (Oxycodone for PCIA group) and Group QO (transmuscular quadratus lumborum block + oxycodone for PCIA group). Primary outcome was Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) pain score when coughing at 6th hour after the operation. We summarized opioid consumption and recorded complications, opioid drug adverse reaction and analgesia satisfaction.

Results

NRS pain scores were significantly lower in Group QO while patients coughing at 6th hour after the operation compared with Group S and Group O (median (interquartile range [IQR]):Group S vs. Group O vs. Group QO 4.0 [3.0, 5.0] vs. 4.0[3.0,5.0]vs.3.0 [2.0, 3.0], p < 0.05). Within 24 h after surgery, the bolus times of PCIA (patient controlled intravenous analgesia) in the QO group was reduced which was compared with the Group S and Group O (median (interquartile range [IQR]):Group S vs. Group O vs. Group QO 13.0 [10.3, 19.5] vs. 11.5 [7.8, 18.3]vs.6.5[3.5,12.0], p < 0.05). The proportion of patients in the three groups who required additional analgesia was ranked as Group QO < Group O < Group S(p < 0.05). The analgesic satisfaction of patients in Group QO was higher than the Group S (p = 0.001) and Group O (p = 0.012).

Conclusions

TQLB combined with oxycodone-based PCIA provided satisfactory postoperative analgesia and reduced oxycodone consumption in patients following laparoscopic hepatectomy.

Trial registration

ChiCTR1900028467 (22/12/2019).

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12871-021-01255-3.

A Scoping Review of Nursing's Contribution to the Management of Patients with Pain and Opioid Misuse

BACKGROUND

Nursing brings a unique lens to care of patients with pain and opioid misuse.

AIMS

This scoping review describes nursing's contribution to the literature on the management of patients with pain and opioid misuse, generating evidence to guide clinical care.

DESIGN

The scoping review was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guideline.

DATA SOURCES

Using combined key terms ("opioid misuse," "pain," "nursing") in systematic searches in PubMed and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) electronic databases, snowball technique, and personal knowledge resulted in 108 relevant articles, reports, and websites.

ANALYSIS METHOD

Summative approach to content analysis was used to quantify and describe nursing's contribution to the literature.

RESULTS

Contributions of nurses emerged in the areas of research, clinical practice, policy, and education. The highest number of publications addressed research (50%, 54 of 108), whereas the fewest number of publications involved education (7%, 8 of 108).

CONCLUSION

Results provide a picture of the breadth of expertise and crucial leadership that nurses contribute to influence management of patients with pain and opioid misuse.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING

This scoping review indicates the importance of continued support from key stakeholders, including training and interprofessional collaboration opportunities supported by the National Institutes of Health, to sustain nursing's contribution to quality care of patients with pain and opioid misuse. Ultimately, all health care professionals must collaborate to conduct rigorous research and construct evidence-based guidelines to inform policy initiatives and education strategies to solve the complex co-occurring epidemics of pain and opioid misuse.

Effect of Perioperative Ketamine on Postoperative Mood and Depression: A Review of the Literature

Introduction: Ketamine is being increasingly utilized in a variety of patient care settings, ranging from high acuity inpatient scenarios to the outpatient management of select mental health diagnoses. Postoperative patients are at an increased risk of developing a depressed state, and though ketamine's ability to improve mood is well documented in the literature, the relationship between perioperative ketamine and postoperative mood has not been fully elucidated. Areas covered: The purpose of this review was to determine ketamine's ability to improve mood and depression scores in the perioperative setting. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, ProQuest, Web of Science, and CINAHL using the following search terminology: 'ketamine' AND 'perioperative' OR 'surgery' AND 'mood' OR 'depression.' Seven clinical trials are evaluated in this review. Expert opinion: As the use of ketamine continues to expand, clinicians must be cognizant of the fact that many of its desired effects are likely to overlap. Patients outside of the perioperative setting may benefit from using ketamine as an analgesic or sedative, as appropriate, to mitigate mood and depression. Ketamine, when administered as an anesthetic in the perioperative setting, seemingly has effect on postoperative mood and depression. Further studies that are sufficient.

Managing postoperative pain with opioid-sparing therapies

ABSTRACT

The analgesic properties of opioids make them valuable pharmacologic options for patients with severe post-op pain, but healthcare providers must be cautious due to opioid-related adverse reactions. This article reviews select nonopioid adjuvant and adjunctive medications, as well as select nonpharmacologic therapies, as part of a multimodal approach to postoperative analgesia. The role of nurses in assessing, monitoring, and educating patients is also explored.

Machine learning approach to predict postoperative opioid requirements in ambulatory surgery patients

Opioids play a critical role in acute postoperative pain management. Our objective was to develop machine learning models to predict postoperative opioid requirements in patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. To develop the models, we used a perioperative dataset of 13,700 patients (≥ 18 years) undergoing ambulatory surgery between the years 2016–2018. The data, comprising of patient, procedure and provider factors that could influence postoperative pain and opioid requirements, was randomly split into training (80%) and validation (20%) datasets. Machine learning models of different classes were developed to predict categorized levels of postoperative opioid requirements using the training dataset and then evaluated on the validation dataset. Prediction accuracy was used to differentiate model performances. The five types of models that were developed returned the following accuracies at two different stages of surgery: 1) Prior to surgery—Multinomial Logistic Regression: 71%, Naïve Bayes: 67%, Neural Network: 30%, Random Forest: 72%, Extreme Gradient Boost: 71% and 2) End of surgery—Multinomial Logistic Regression: 71%, Naïve Bayes: 63%, Neural Network: 32%, Random Forest: 72%, Extreme Gradient Boost: 70%. Analyzing the sensitivities of the best performing Random Forest model showed that the lower opioid requirements are predicted with better accuracy (89%) as compared with higher opioid requirements (43%). Feature importance (% relative importance) of model predictions showed that the type of procedure (15.4%), medical history (12.9%) and procedure duration (12.0%) were the top three features contributing to model predictions. Overall, the contribution of patient and procedure features towards model predictions were 65% and 35% respectively. Machine learning models could be used to predict postoperative opioid requirements in ambulatory surgery patients and could potentially assist in better management of their postoperative acute pain.

Risk of Opioid Overdose Associated With Concomitant Use of Opioids and Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: A Population-Based Cohort Study

The recent opioid prescribing guideline cautions about the concomitant prescribing of opioids and skeletal muscle relaxants (SMRs) given the additive central nervous system depressant effect. However, the clinical relevance remains unclear. In this retrospective cohort study, we compared the risk of opioid overdose associated with concomitant use of opioids and SMRs vs. opioid use alone. Adjusted hazard ratios were 1.09 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74-1.62) and 1.26 (95% CI, 1.00-1.58) in the incident and prevalent opioid user cohorts, respectively, generating a combined estimate of 1.21 (95% CI, 1.00-1.48). This risk seemed to increase with treatment duration (≤ 14 days: 0.91 and 95% CI, 0.67-1.22; 15-60 days: 1.37 and 95% CI, 0.81-2.37; >60 days: 1.80 and 95% CI, 1.30-2.48) and for baclofen (1.83 and 95% CI, 1.11-3.04) and carisoprodol (1.84 and 95% CI, 1.34-2.54). Concomitant users with daily opioid dose ≥50 mg (1.50 and 95% CI, 1.18-1.92) and benzodiazepine use (1.39 and 95% CI, 1.08-1.79) also had elevated risk. Clinicians should be cautious about these potentially unsafe practices to optimize pain care and improve patient safety.

Opioid free onco-anesthesia: Is it time to convict opioids? A systematic review of literature

The epidemic of opioid crisis started getting recognised as a public health emergency in view of increasing opioid-related deaths occurring due to undetected respiratory depression. Prescribing opioids at discharge has become an independent risk factor for chronic opioid use, following which, prescription practices have undergone a radical change. A call to action has been voiced recently to end the opioid epidemic although with the pain practitioners still struggling to make opioids readily available. American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) has called for reducing patient exposure to opioids in the surgical setting. Opioid sparing strategies have emerged embracing loco-regional techniques and non-opioid based multimodal pain management whereas opioid free anesthesia is the combination of various opioid sparing strategies culminating in complete elimination of opioid usage. The movement away from opioid usage perioperatively is a massive but necessary shift in anesthesia which has rationalised perioperative opioid usage. Ideal way moving forward would be to adapt selective low opioid effective dosing which is both procedure and patient specific while reserving it as rescue analgesia, postoperatively. Many unknowns persist in the domain of immunologic effects of opioids, as complex interplay of factors gets associated during real time surgery towards outcome. At present it would be too premature to conclude upon opioid-induced immunosuppression from the existing evidence. Till evidence is established, there are no recommendations to change current clinical practice. At the same time, consideration for multimodal opioid sparing strategies should be initiated in each patient undergoing surgery.

Is Opioid Prescribing Driving Trauma Recidivism or is Trauma Driving Opioid Use?

In the past 30 years, opioid prescription rates have quadrupled and hospital admissions for overdose are rising. Previous studies have focused on alcohol use and trauma recidivism, however rarely evaluating recidivism and opioid use. We hypothesized there is an association between opioid use and trauma recidivism. This is a retrospective review of patients with multiple admissions for traumatic injury. Demographics, opioid toxicology screen (TS) results, and injury characteristics were collected. Statistical analysis was performed with chi-squared and Poisson regression models. One thousand six hundred forty-nine patients (age ≥18 years) had multiple trauma admissions. Seven hundred nine patients had TS data for both admissions. Thirty-one per cent (218) were TS positive on the 1st admission compared with 34 per cent (244) on their 2nd admission. Fifty-five per cent of patients who were TS positive on the 1st admission were positive on their 2nd admission, whereas 25 per cent who were TS negative on the 1st admission were subsequently positive on their 2nd admission ( P < 0.0001). Patients who were TS positive on the subsequent admission were less severely injured than TS negative patients (Injury Severity Score > 15, 26.3% vs 22.3%, P = 0.04). The only significant risk factor for being TS positive on the 2nd admission was being TS positive on the 1st admission (relative risk = 2.18, P < 0.001). A previous history of opioid use is the strongest predictor of recurrent use in recidivists.

Modeling Health Benefits and Harms of Public Policy Responses to the US Opioid Epidemic

OBJECTIVES

To estimate health outcomes of policies to mitigate the opioid epidemic.

METHODS

We used dynamic compartmental modeling of US adults, in various pain, opioid use, and opioid addiction health states, to project addiction-related deaths, life years, and quality-adjusted life years from 2016 to 2025 for 11 policy responses to the opioid epidemic.

RESULTS

Over 5 years, increasing naloxone availability, promoting needle exchange, expanding medication-assisted addiction treatment, and increasing psychosocial treatment increased life years and quality-adjusted life years and reduced deaths. Other policies reduced opioid prescription supply and related deaths but led some addicted prescription users to switch to heroin use, which increased heroin-related deaths. Over a longer horizon, some such policies may avert enough new addiction to outweigh the harms. No single policy is likely to substantially reduce deaths over 5 to 10 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Policies focused on services for addicted people improve population health without harming any groups. Policies that reduce the prescription opioid supply may increase heroin use and reduce quality of life in the short term, but in the long term could generate positive health benefits. A portfolio of interventions will be needed for eventual mitigation.

Effect of sedative agent selection on morbidity, mortality and length of stay in patients with increase in intracranial pressure

BACKGROUND

To identify the effects of sedative agent selection on morbidity, mortality, and length of stay in patients with suspected increase in intracranial pressure. Recent trends and developments have resulted in changes to medications that were previously utilized as pharmacological adjuncts in the sedation and intubation of patients with suspected increases in intracranial pressure. Medications that were previously considered contraindicated are now being used with increasing regularity without demonstrated safety and effectiveness. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the use of Ketamine as an induction agent for patients with increased intracranial pressure. The secondary objective was to evaluate and compare the use of Etomidate, Midazolam, and Ketamine in patients with increased intracranial pressure.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients transported to our facility with evidence of intracranial hypertension that were intubated before trauma center arrival. Patients were identified during a 22-month period from January 2014 to October 2015. Goals were to evaluate the impact of sedative agent selection on morbidity, mortality, and length of stay.

RESULTS

During the review 148 patients were identified as meeting inclusion criteria, 52 were excluded due to incomplete data. Of those the patients primarily received; Etomidate, Ketamine, and Midazolam. Patients in the Ketamine group were found to have a lower mortality rate after injury stratification.

CONCLUSION

Patients with intracranial hypertension should not be excluded from receiving Ketamine during intubation out of concern for worsening outcomes.