A randomised comparison of parecoxib versus placebo for pain management following minor day stay gynaecological surgery

The effect of preoperative intravenous lidocaine on postoperative pain following hysteroscopy: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The use of hysteroscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of uterine and endometrial abnormalities is often associated with postoperative pain. This randomized controlled trial aimed to assess the efficacy of preoperative intravenous (IV) lidocaine in reducing pain after hysteroscopy.

METHODS

In total, 138 patients undergoing elective hysteroscopy at the CHA Bundang Medical Center, Seongnam, Korea were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 69) or a lidocaine group (n = 69), which received normal saline or IV lidocaine at 1.5 mg/kg, respectively. The primary outcome was the incidence of postoperative pain.

RESULTS

The incidence of pain was significantly lower in the IV lidocaine group than in the control group at the post-anesthesia care unit (27.3% vs 68.2%, P < .001). The visual analog scale (0-10) score (median [interquartile range]) was lower in the IV lidocaine group than in the control group (0 [0-2]) vs 2 [0-4]), P < .001). The use of rescue analgesics and postoperative nausea and vomiting were similar between the 2 groups. This study demonstrated that administering 1.5 mg/kg of preoperative IV lidocaine can be a simple method to reduce incidence of pain after hysteroscopy.

CONCLUSION

Preoperative bolus administration of 1.5 mg/kg of IV lidocaine may be used to decrease incidence of pain after hysteroscopy under general anesthesia.

Parecoxib Shortens the Duration of Acute Postoperative Pain After Laparoscopic-Assisted Vaginal Hysterectomy

The effect of parecoxib sodium on the duration and severity of acute postoperative pain after laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy has been inadequately studied. This randomized, controlled trial compared the effects of parecoxib, methylprednisolone, and placebo on the duration of acute postoperative pain after elective laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy. Ninety-four eligible patients were randomized to three groups [parecoxib sodium 40 mg (Group P), methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg (Group M), and saline (Group S)]. The duration of pain during coughing [median (interquartile range)] was significantly lower in Group P than in Group M or Group S [26.0 (5.8–48.0) vs. 48.0 (30.0–55.5) vs. 48.0 (36.0–58.5) h; p = 0.025]. The duration of pain during rest was also significantly lower in Group P than in Group M or Group S [5.5 (3.8–21.0) vs. 24.0 (6.0–28.0) vs. 22.0 (5.8–36.0) h; p = 0.009]. Compared with those in Group M and Group S, the patients in Group P reported less intense visceral pain during coughing at 12 (p = 0.050) and 24 h (p = 0.009) as well as at rest at 12 h (p = 0.008). Compared with those in Group P and Group S, the patients in Group M showed lower serum C-reactive protein levels and higher blood glucose levels after surgery. No differences were noted in nausea, vomiting, length of hospital stay, wound infection, and delayed wound healing among the groups. Thus, parecoxib sodium reduces the duration and intensity of acute postoperative pain after laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy.

Comparison of Preoperative and Postoperative Parecoxib Administration for Pain Control Following Major Spine Surgery

Study Design

Prospective randomized, double-blind controlled trial.

Purpose

Here, we aim to compare the efficacy and safety of pain control between pre- and postoperative parecoxib administration in patients who have undergone major spine surgery.

Overview of Literature

Several studies have compared the efficacy of pre- and postoperative administration of parecoxib, which led to inconclusive results owing to variation in operative time. Preincisional parecoxib administration reduces inflammatory response in major spine surgery requiring longer operative time; however, it may not reduce pain as much as parecoxib administration immediately after surgery would.

Methods

Totally, 127 patients who underwent major spine surgery were randomly divided into three groups: pre-group, which received 40 mg parecoxib before skin incision and at 12 and 24 hours after the first dose; post-group, which received the same dose at wound closure and at 12 and 24 hours after the first dose; and control group, which did not receive any parecoxib. Efficacy and safety of parecoxib were measured based on pain score, morphine consumption, and side effects from both morphine and parecoxib at 24 hours after surgery.

Results

Initial postoperative pain score, postoperative pain score at rest, and accumulative morphine consumption at 24 hours after surgery were similar between the pre- and post-groups. Despite the significantly lower pain score and morphine consumption in both pre- and post-groups compared with the control group, cumulative morphine consumption at 24 hours after surgery was reduced by approximately 50% in the pre-group and 46% in the post-group compared. Analgesic-related complication incidence was similar in all groups.

Conclusions

The timing of parecoxib administration, either before or after major spinal surgery, did not affect the safety and analgesic efficacy of pain management.

Sex differences in innate immunity and its impact on opioid pharmacology

Morphine has been and continues to be one of the most potent and widely used drugs for the treatment of pain. Clinical and animal models investigating sex differences in pain and analgesia demonstrate that morphine is a more potent analgesic in males than in females. In addition to binding to the neuronal μ-opioid receptor, morphine binds to the innate immune receptor toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), located on glial cells. Activation of glial TLR4 initiates a neuroinflammatory response that directly opposes morphine analgesia. Females of many species have a more active immune system than males; however, few studies have investigated glial cells as a potential mechanism driving sexually dimorphic responses to morphine. This Mini-Review illustrates the involvement of glial cells in key processes underlying observed sex differences in morphine analgesia and suggests that targeting glia may improve current treatment strategies for pain. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Parecoxib reduces systemic inflammation and acute lung injury in burned animals with delayed fluid resuscitation

Burn injuries result in the release of proinflammatory mediators causing both local and systemic inflammation. Multiple organ dysfunctions secondary to systemic inflammation after severe burn contribute to adverse outcome, with the lungs being the first organ to fail. In this study, we evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of Parecoxib, a parenteral COX-2 inhibitor, in a delayed fluid resuscitation burned rat model. Anaesthetized Sprague Dawley rats were inflicted with 45% total body surface area full-thickness scald burns and subsequently subjected to delayed resuscitation with Hartmann's solution. Parecoxib (0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/kg) was delivered intramuscularly 20 min after injury followed by 12 h interval and the rats were sacrificed at 6 h, 24 h, and 48 h. Burn rats developed elevated blood cytokines, transaminase, creatinine, and increased lung MPO levels. Animals treated with 1 mg/kg Parecoxib showed significantly reduced plasma level of CINC-1, IL-6, PGEM, and lung MPO. Treatment of 1 mg/kg Parecoxib is shown to mitigate systemic and lung inflammation without significantly affecting other organs. At present, no specific therapeutic agent is available to attenuate the systemic inflammatory response secondary to burn injury. The results suggest that Parecoxib may have the potential to be used both as an analgesic and ameliorate the effects of lung injury following burn.