Cost-effectiveness of the Perioperative Pain Management Bundle a registry-based study

Introduction

The Perioperative Pain Management Bundle was introduced in 10 Serbian PAIN OUT network hospitals to improve the quality of postoperative pain management. The Bundle consists of 4 elements: informing patients about postoperative pain treatment options; administering a full daily dose of 1-2 non-opioid analgesics; administering regional blocks and/or surgical wound infiltration; and assessing pain after surgery. In this study, we aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Bundle during the initial 24 h after surgery.

Materials and methods

The assessment of cost-effectiveness was carried out by comparing patients before and after Bundle implementation and by comparing patients who received all Bundle elements to those with no Bundle element. Costs of postoperative pain management included costs of the analgesic medications, costs of labor for administering these medications, and related disposable materials. A multidimensional Pain Composite Score (PCS), the effectiveness measurement, was obtained by averaging variables from the International Pain Outcomes questionnaire evaluating pain intensity, interference of pain with activities and emotions, and side effects of analgesic medications. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated as the incremental change in costs divided by the incremental change in PCS and plotted on the cost-effectiveness plane along with the economic preference analysis.

Results

The ICER value calculated when comparing patients before and after Bundle implementation was 181.89 RSD (1.55 EUR) with plotted ICERs located in the northeast and southeast quadrants of the cost-effectiveness plane. However, when comparing patients with no Bundle elements and those with all four Bundle elements, the calculated ICER was -800.63 RSD (-6.82 EUR) with plotted ICERs located in the southeast quadrant of the cost-effectiveness plane. ICER values differ across surgical disciplines.

Conclusion

The proposed perioperative pain management Bundle is cost-effective. The cost-effectiveness varies depending on the number of implemented Bundle elements and fluctuates across surgical disciplines.

Successful conservative treatment of a cervical ectopic pregnancy at 13 weeks

BACKGROUND

Cervical ectopic pregnancy is a potentially life-threatening condition due to the unexpected occurrence of uncontrollable bleeding from the cervix.

CASE REPORT

A 39-year-old secundigravida was admitted with amenorrhea of 12 weeks and four days due to suspected cervical pregnancy, without bleeding. The ultrasonography revealed a gestational sac at the anterior wall of the isthmic-cervical part with a single viable fetus, with crown-rump length (CRL) of 59 mm and regular heart rate. The serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) level on admission was 143.416 mIU/l. Two possible therapeutic options were considered, (1) systemic methotrexate treatment and (2) uterine artery embolization with gelatine sponge. The first was rejected due to gestational age, viable fetus, high β-hCG level, and CRL, and the later was rejected by the vascular surgeons due to lack of experience. The curettage was performed. After the evacuation, prostin was administered into cervix accompanied with tamponade. On the next day β-hCG level was 44.342 mIU/l and the following day ultrasonography revealed the oval non-homogenous formation in the cervical cavity (blood clots or residual trophoblastic tissue); β-hCG level was 36.501 mIU/l. The reintervention was performed on the fifth day after the curettage and 200 ml of coagulated blood was aspirated; β-hCG level was 16.432 mlU/l. Since the isthmic-cervical part was slightly dilated (23 mm) seven days after the curettage, systemic methotrexate treatment (100 mg intramuscular) was initiated. Serum β-hCG level on the second and fourth day after methotrexate were 12.553 mIU/l and 8.900 mIU/l, respectively. The second dose of 100 mg of methotrexate was administered intramuscular seven days after the first dose. Three days after, β-hCG level was 2.329 U/l and ultrasound scan revealed normal isthmic-cervical finding.

CONCLUSION

The present case report showed efficient fertility sparing conservative treatment, dilatation and curettage, of 13 week cervical pregnancy followed by systemic methotrexate.

Epidural anesthesia can block the negative effects of prostaglandin mediators during prostate surgery

INTRODUCTION

Inflammation plays a key role in the development of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an important inflammation factor found in enlarged prostatic tissue that can be the main cause of inflammatory pain. The aim of this study was to investigate whether epidural anesthesia can block the negative effects of prostaglandin mediators during prostate surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included 60 patients who underwent open prostatectomy. All patients were randomly allocated to one of two study groups. The first group received general anesthesia and the second group a combination of general and epidural anesthesia. Main outcome measures were plasma concentration of PGE2, adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine, before induction of anesthesia and at the time of enucleation.

RESULTS

Preoperative serum concentrations of PGE2 were high in both groups. During enucleation, serum concentrations of adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine increased, followed by a rise of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the group of patients that received only general anesthesia. Serum concentration of PGE2 was at the same level as before induction of anesthesia in both groups.

CONCLUSION

Epidural anesthesia blocks transmission of painful stimulus through the spinal cord caused by prostaglandin release and prevents the rise of catecholamines and blood pressure. Open prostatectomy can become a safer procedure performed under a combination of general and epidural anesthesia. Negative intraoperative effects of inflammatory prostate mediators during other techniques for prostate surgery could also be blocked with epidural anesthesia.

Endometrial stromal sarcoma with intracaval extension at initial presentation

Endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) is a rare uterine neoplasm. Tumor involvement of the large vessels is extremely rare. This is a case report of ESS with tumor invasion of the inferior vena cava at initial presentation.

Diagnosis and surgical therapy of uterine sarkoma

Introduction: Uterine sarcomas are rare gynecological neoplasms and their classification is complicated. Uterine sarcoma is usually diagnosed in postmenopausal women and the diagnosis is often accidental and postoperative. Aim of this study was to present clinical and pathological characteristics of uterine sarcomas, diagnostic procedures, treatment and two-, three- and five-years cumulative survival rates. Materials and methods: The retrospective study of 61 cases of uterine sarcomas was conducted. Cases were distributed into groups based on definitive diagnosis of uterine sarcoma: group of leiomyosarcomas (LMS), carcinosarcoma (CS), endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS), adenosarcomas (AS) and other rare uterine sarcomas. We investigated patients with clinical and pathological characteristics of uterine sarcomas, diagnostic procedures and treatment. Survival rate was calculated by Kaplan-Meier method. Results: From 61 patients 43 patients (70.49%) were postmenopausal. Mean period from menopause until appearance of symptoms was 14,63 years. One or more risk factors were present in 46 (75.4%) patients. Diagnosis of uterine sarcoma were established averagely 7.38 months after appearance of symptoms. 50 patients (82.0%) underwent one or more diagnostic procedures. Preoperative diagnosis of uterine sarcoma was established in 42.5% of patients. 53 (86.9%) of patients were treated operatively. The most used operative procedure (60,7%) was total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingooophorectomy. Postoperative pathohistologic analysis showed that low grade (LG) leiomyosarcoma were present in 19 (35.9%) cases, high grade (HG) leiomyosarcoma in 1 (1.9%) case, carcinosarcoma in 14 (26.4%) cases, low grade (LG) endometrial stromal sarcoma in 5 (9.4%) cases, high grade (HG) endometrial stromal sarcoma in 9 (17.0%) cases, adenosarcoma in 2 (3.8%) cases, and 2 cases of rare uterine sarcomas: 1 (1.9%) MALT HG lymphoma and 1(1.9%) malignant hemangiopericytoma. In one case of ESS (1.9%) only adenomyosis was found postoperatively suggesting that the whole tumour was removed during diagnostic procedure. Eight patients were not treated operatively. Two-years cumulative survival rate was 74.3%, three-years cumulative survival rate was 71.1%, and five years survival rate was 64.3%. Discussion: Average age, percent of postmenopausal patients and the mean age at the time of menopause in our studied correlate with current data. Clinical presentation of uterine sarcoma is associated with obesity and hypertension in more than 30% of cases, which is approved in our study. For early diagnostics it is important to notice that risk factors are similar to those connected with far more frequent endometrial carcinoma. Postmenopausal abnormal bleeding was the main reason for medical examination, explaining relatively short period for establishing the diagnosis in this group of patients. The variety of clinical findings in our studied group showed that the diagnosis must be based on preoperative pathohistology. Conclusion: Adequate diagnosis and treatment of uterine sarcoma is possible with regular yearly or more frequent follow-up, especially in postmenopausal women with known risk factors present. We need special attention for unclear symptoms and postmenopausal bleeding and we need to use all diagnostic procedures soon as possible including preoperative histology because early metastases are characteristic for uterine sarcomas. Factor of the most important predictive value is histologic grade. .