Total joint replacement in ambulatory surgery

Total joint arthroplasty is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in the United States, and projected numbers are expected to double in the next ten years. From 2018 to 2020, total hip and knee arthroplasty were removed from the United States' Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services "inpatient-only" list, accelerating this migration to the ambulatory setting. Appropriate patient selection, including age, body mass index, comorbidities, and adequate social support, is critical for successful ambulatory total joint arthroplasty. General anesthesia and neuraxial anesthesia are both safe and effective anesthetic choices, and recent studies in this population have found no difference in outcomes. Multimodal analgesia, including acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, local infiltration analgesia, and peripheral nerve blocks, is the foundation for adequate pain control. Common reasons for "failure to launch" include postoperative urinary retention, postoperative nausea and vomiting, inadequate analgesia, and hypotension.

Population pharmacokinetic and safety analysis of ropivacaine used for erector spinae plane blocks

INTRODUCTION

Erector spinae plane blocks have become popular for thoracic surgery. Despite a theoretically favorable safety profile, intercostal spread occurs and systemic toxicity is possible. Pharmacokinetic data are needed to guide safe dosing.

METHODS

Fifteen patients undergoing thoracic surgery received continuous erector spinae plane blocks with ropivacaine 150 mg followed by subsequent boluses of 40 mg every 6 hours and infusion of 2 mg/hour. Arterial blood samples were obtained over 12 hours and analyzed using non-linear mixed effects modeling, which allowed for conducting simulations of clinically relevant dosing scenarios. The primary outcome was the Cmax of ropivacaine in erector spinae plane blocks.

RESULTS

The mean age was 66 years, mean weight was 77.5 kg, and mean ideal body weight was 60 kg. The mean Cmax was 2.5 ±1.1 mg/L, which occurred at a median time of 10 (7-47) min after initial injection. Five patients developed potentially toxic ropivacaine levels but did not experience neurological symptoms. Another patient reported transient neurological toxicity symptoms. Our data suggested that using a maximum ropivacaine dose of 2.5 mg/kg based on ideal body weight would have prevented all toxicity events. Simulation predicted that reducing the initial dose to 75 mg with the same subsequent intermittent bolus dosing would decrease the risk of toxic levels to <1%.

CONCLUSION

Local anesthetic systemic toxicity can occur with erector spinae plane blocks and administration of large, fixed doses of ropivacaine should be avoided, especially in patients with low ideal body weights. Weight-based ropivacaine dosing could reduce toxicity risk.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04807504; clinicaltrials.gov.

A multisociety organizational consensus process to define guiding principles for acute perioperative pain management

The US Health and Human Services Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force initiated a public-private partnership which led to the publication of its report in 2019. The report emphasized the need for individualized, multimodal, and multidisciplinary approaches to pain management that decrease the over-reliance on opioids, increase access to care, and promote widespread education on pain and substance use disorders. The Task Force specifically called on specialty organizations to work together to develop evidence-based guidelines. In response to this report's recommendations, a consortium of 14 professional healthcare societies committed to a 2-year project to advance pain management for the surgical patient and improve opioid safety. The modified Delphi process included two rounds of electronic voting and culminated in a live virtual event in February 2021, during which seven common guiding principles were established for acute perioperative pain management. These principles should help to inform local action and future development of clinical practice recommendations.

Surgical and Radiological Management of Complicated Uterine Leiomyoma Aided by 3D Models in a Patient with Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva

Patient: Female, 27-year-old

Final Diagnosis: Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

Symptoms: Fever

Medication: —

Clinical Procedure: —

Specialty: Endocrinology and Metabolic • Obstetrics and Gynecology

Updates on Multimodal Analgesia for Orthopedic Surgery

Pain control after orthopedic surgery is challenging. A multimodal approach provides superior analgesia with fewer side effects compared with opioids alone. This approach is particularly useful in light of the current opioid epidemic in the United States. Several new nonopioid agents have emerged into the market in recent years. New agents included in this review are intravenous acetaminophen, intranasal ketorolac, and newer nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and the established medications ketamine and gabapentinoids. This article evaluates the evidence supporting these drugs in a multimodal context, including a brief discussion of cost.

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Adductor Canal Catheter and Intraarticular Catheter After Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Multimodal analgesia, including peripheral nerve blocks, is recommended for postoperative pain relief after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). To date, no randomized controlled trial has compared the efficacy of adductor canal catheters (ACCs) and intraarticular catheters (IACs) in patients undergoing TKA.

METHODS

A prospective, randomized control trial was performed in 96 primary, unilateral TKA patients comparing ACC with IAC between April, 2014 and August, 2015. Primary outcome measured was numeric pain scores before and after the first physical therapy session on postoperative day 1. Secondary outcomes were oxycodone consumption at 24 and 48 hours, total opioid consumption in morphine equivalents at 24 and 48 hours, active and passive range of motion during physical therapy, patient satisfaction, and length of stay.

RESULTS

Results demonstrated that the ACC provided significantly better pain control on postoperative day 1 (P = .02) compared with the IAC. ACC trended toward significantly reduced oxycodone consumption at 24 hours postoperatively compared to IAC (25.64 vs 34.67 mg, P = .057). However, total opioid consumption was equivalent between the groups at 24 hours (32.24 vs 38.55 P = .185) or 48 hours (45.2 vs 52.0, P = .330).

CONCLUSION

ACC should be considered as part of a multimodal pain regimen after primary, unilateral TKA and provides a better option for pain control after discharge.

Managing Opioid-Tolerant Patients in the Perioperative Surgical Home

Management of acute postoperative pain is important to decrease perioperative morbidity and improve patient satisfaction. Opioids are associated with potential adverse events that may lead to significant risk. Uncontrolled pain is a risk factor in the transformation of acute pain to chronic pain. Balancing these issues can be especially challenging in opioid-tolerant patients undergoing surgery, for whom rapidly escalating opioid doses in an effort to control pain can be associated with increased complications. In the perioperative surgical home model, anesthesiologists are positioned to coordinate a comprehensive perioperative analgesic plan that begins with the preoperative assessment and continues through discharge.

The Acute to Chronic Pain Transition: Can Chronic Pain Be Prevented?

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a distressing disease process that can lead to long-term disability, reduced quality of life, and increased health care spending. Although the exact mechanism of development of CPSP is unknown, nerve injury and inflammation may lead to peripheral and central sensitization. Given the complexity of the disease process, no novel treatment has been identified. The preoperative use of multimodal analgesia has been shown to decrease acute postoperative pain, but it has no proven efficacy in preventing development of CPSP.

Ultrasound-Guided Out-of-Plane vs. In-Plane Interscalene Catheters: A Randomized, Prospective Study

BACKGROUND

Continuous interscalene blocks provide excellent analgesia after shoulder surgery. Although the safety of the ultrasound-guided in-plane approach has been touted, technical and patient factors can limit this approach. We developed a caudad-to-cephalad out-of-plane approach and hypothesized that it would decrease pain ratings due to better catheter alignment with the brachial plexus compared to the in-plane technique in a randomized, controlled study.

OBJECTIVES

To compare an out-of-plane interscalene catheter technique to the in-plane technique in a randomized clinical trial.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Eighty-four patients undergoing open shoulder surgery were randomized to either the in-plane or out-of-plane ultrasound-guided continuous interscalene technique. The primary outcome was VAS pain rating at 24 hours. Secondary outcomes included pain ratings in the recovery room and at 48 hours, morphine consumption, the incidence of catheter dislodgments, procedure time, and block difficulty. Procedural data and all pain ratings were collected by blinded observers.

RESULTS

There were no differences in the primary outcome of median VAS pain rating at 24 hours between the out-of-plane and in-plane groups (1.50; IQR, [0 - 4.38] vs. 1.25; IQR, [0 - 3.75]; P = 0.57). There were also no differences, respectively, between out-of-plane and in-plane median PACU pain ratings (1.0; IQR, [0 - 3.5] vs. 0.25; IQR, [0 - 2.5]; P = 0.08) and median 48-hour pain ratings (1.25; IQR, [1.25 - 2.63] vs. 0.50; IQR, [0 - 1.88]; P = 0.30). There were no differences in any other secondary endpoint.

CONCLUSIONS

Our out-of-plane technique did not provide superior analgesia to the in-plane technique. It did not increase the number of complications. Our technique is an acceptable alternative in situations where the in-plane technique is difficult to perform.

Setting up an acute pain management service

Successful implementation of an acute pain management service involves a team approach in which team members have clearly defined roles. Clinical protocols are designed to help address common problems and prevent errors. As the complexity of surgery and patients' diseases continues to increase, current knowledge of new analgesic medications, acute pain literature, and skills in regional anesthesia techniques is imperative. Emphasizing a multimodal approach can improve analgesia and decrease opioid-related side effects.

Perioperative pain management for total knee arthroplasty

Pain management following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be challenging. Inadequate pain management following TKA may inhibit rehabilitation, increase morbidity and mortality, decrease patient satisfaction, and lead to chronic persistent postsurgical pain. Traditionally the mainstay of postoperative pain management was opioids; however, the current recommendations to pain management emphasize a multimodal approach and minimizing opioids whenever possible. With careful planning and a multimodal analgesic approach instituted perioperatively, appropriate pain management following TKA can be achieved. Utilizing an extensive review of the literature, this article discusses the analgesic techniques available for the perioperative management of TKA.

Acute pain management in the postanesthesia care unit

Pain management in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) is continually evolving, with several new nonopioids expanding the list of available agents. Pain in the PACU is not an inevitable outcome of surgery. With careful planning, multimodal analgesic techniques instituted preoperatively will reduce pain in the PACU. Accurate assessment of the characteristics of pain will direct rational drug choices while minimizing side effects. Better management of pain in the PACU setting will likely improve patient satisfaction and facilitate shorter PACU stays.