A Double-blinded, Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study of the Effect a Small Dose of Ketamine has on Postoperative Pain of Sevoflurane-remifentanil Anesthesia

Comparison of Postoperative Pain and Nausea and Vomiting between Desflurane and Desflurane-remifentanil Anesthesia for Gynecologic Laparoscopic Surgery

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to compare desflurane anesthesia with desflurane-remifentanil anesthesia by measuring postoperative pain, nausea and vomiting after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.

METHODS

Data were collected using a random double blind method. The experimental group treated with desflurane-remifentanil anesthesia had a total of 25 patients. The control group had 20 patients who were treated with desflurane anesthesia. Pain (VAS), pushing PCA button, nausea and vomiting (VAS) were assessed at PACU (Post Anesthesia Care Unit) arrival, 10 min, 20 min, 30 min in PACU and 2 hrs, 6 hrs, 24 hrs, 48 hrs in ward. INVR was assessed at 24 hrs. Extra analgesics and extra antiemetics were measured in PACU and the ward. Data were analyzed using t-test and repeated measure using ANOVA.

RESULTS

The experimental group presented with more postoperative pain (F=7.55, p<.001) than the control group. The experimental group took more extra analgesics in PACU and pressed the PCA button more often for 6 hours. The experimental group complained more postoperative nausea (F=2.11, p=.043) than the control group and took extra antiemetics during postoperative period of 24 hours.

CONCLUSION

We conclude that desflurane-remifentanil anesthesia needs better management than desflurane anesthesia due to increased pain, nausea & vomiting after gynecologic laparoscopic surgery.

Remifentanil-induced pronociceptive effect and its prevention with pregabalin

Background

Experimental and clinical studies have suggested that remifentanil probably causes acute tolerance or postinfusion hyperalgesia. This study was designed to confirm whether remifentanil given during propofol anesthesia induced postoperative pain sensitization, and we wanted to investigate whether pregabalin could prevent this pronociceptive effect.

Methods

Sixty patients who were scheduled for total abdominal hysterectomy were randomly allocated to receive (1) a placebo as premedication and an intraoperative saline infusion (control group), (2) a placebo as premedication and an intraoperative infusion of remifentanil at a rate of 3-4 ng/ml (remifentanil group), or (3) pregabalin 150 mg as premedication and an intraoperative infusion of remifentanil at a rate of 3-4 ng/ml (pregabalin-remifentanil group). Postoperative pain was controlled by titration of fentanyl in the postanesthetic care unit (PACU), followed by patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with fentanyl. The patients were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain scores at rest and after cough, consumption of fentanyl, sedation score and any side effects that were noted over the 48 h postoperative period.

Results

The fentanyl titration dose given in the PACU was significantly larger in the remifentanil group as compared with those of the other two groups. At rest, the VAS pain score in the remifentanil group at 2 h after arrival in the PACU was significantly higher than those in the other two groups.

Conclusions

The results of this study show that remifentanil added to propofol anesthesia causes pain sensitization in the immediate postoperative period. Pretreatment with pregabalin prevents this pronociceptive effect and so this may be useful for the management of acute postoperative pain when remifentanil and propofol are used as anesthetics.