Efficacy and Safety of Ultrasound Guided Inter-semispinal Plane Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Posterior Cervical Laminectomy - A Prospective Randomised Controlled Study

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective, randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the safety and efficacy of an ultrasound-guided ISP block for postoperative analgesia in posterior cervical laminectomy.

METHODS

88 patients requiring posterior cervical laminectomy were randomized into two groups, those who underwent ISP block with multimodal analgesia (ISPB group) and those with only multimodal analgesia (control group). Demographic details, intraoperative parameters (blood loss, duration of surgery, perioperative total opioid consumption, muscle relaxants used), and postoperative parameters (numeric rating scale, satisfaction score, mobilization time, and complications) were recorded.

RESULTS

The total opioid consumption (128.41 + 39.65vs 284.09 + 140.92mcg; P < .001), muscle relaxant usage (46.14 + 6.18 mg vs 59.32 + 3.97 mg; P < .001), surgical duration (128.61 + 26.08/160.23 + 30.99mins; P < .01), and intra-operative blood loss (233.18 + 66.08 mL vs 409.77 + 115.41 mL; P < .01) were significantly less in the ISPB group compared to the control. In the postoperative period, the control group's pain score was significantly higher (P < .001) in the initial 48 hours. The Modified Observer Alertness/Sedation Score (MOASS) score and satisfaction scores were significantly better in the ISPB compared to the control (P < .001). The mean time required to ambulate was statistically less in ISPB (4.30 + 1.64hours) when compared to controls (9.48 + 3.07hours) (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

In patients undergoing posterior cervical laminectomy, ISP block is a safe and effective technique with better outcomes than standard multi-modal analgesia alone, in terms of reduced intra-operative opioid requirements and blood loss, better postoperative analgesia, and early mobilization.

Efficacy of Preemptive Analgesia on Pain Perception After Simple Tooth Extraction: A Prospective Study

Background and objective This study aims to explore the concept of preemptive analgesia, which is the technique of administration of analgesic agents before the painful stimulus. This bridges the time gap between the onset of action of the analgesic agents and the wear-off of local anesthesia. Existing literature also brings up the concept of central sensitization, which is the hyper-activity of the nervous system in response to a noxious stimulus. Administration of preemptive analgesia prevents central sensitization and hence provides prolonged analgesia to the patient. For the benefit of this study, tab. Etoricoxib 90 mg was used as the analgesic agent. In addition, this study aims to investigate the effects of the administration of tab. Etoricoxib 90 mg 30 minutes before extraction of a single mandibular third molar on the effects of pain experienced by the patient after tooth extraction as compared to a placebo. Methodology This was a double-blinded, prospective, observational study. The pain experienced by 50 participants in each group was measured at 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 hours, and 24 hours postoperatively using a visual analog scale (VAS). The independent samples t-test was then conducted to evaluate the results and draw out conclusions. Results The average difference in pain experienced was maximum in the first hour after the procedure. The mean VAS score reported by patients was 3.14 in the study group but was 6.40 in the control group within the first hour. This difference was reduced in the first six hours after the procedure, with the average score being 3.82 in the study and 7.16 in the control group. The difference was the least after 12 hours, with the study group experiencing a VAS score of 4.64 and controls experiencing a VAS score of 6.14. After the first 24 hours, the mean VAS score was 3.80 in the study group and 5.60 in the control group. Conclusions Preemptive administration of tab. Etoricoxib 90 mg can reduce postextraction pain in healthy adult patients as compared to placebo tablets, with a maximum difference in pain reduction seen at the end of the first six hours (P = 0.012) and the minimum at the end of 12 hours (P = 0.0197).

Pre-emptive paracetamol reduces intra-operative opioid use in patients undergoing day-case oncologic breast surgery

Minimization of intra-operative opioid use is an area of ongoing research interest with several potential benefits to the patient. Pre-emptive analgesia, defined as the administration of an analgesic before surgery to prevent establishment of central sensitization of pain, is one avenue that has been explored to achieve this. A retrospective observational study was undertaken to examine the effect of pre-emptive paracetamol on intra-operative opioid requirements. The medical and operative data of 156 patients who underwent day-case wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy with and without regional block surgery at our center between October 2019 and May 2022 was carried out. Data were collected on demographics, total intra-operative and immediate post-operative opioid consumption. 57 patients did not receive pre-emptive paracetamol while 90 did. Baseline characteristics were similar. Our results showed a statistically significant reduction in morphine (p <0.029) and remifentanil (p <0.007) consumption in patients who received a regional block and pre-emptive paracetamol. Those who did not receive a regional block and were given pre-emptive paracetamol had a decrease in OxyNorm (p <0.022) requirements. A combination of general anesthesia (GA), regional block and pre-emptive paracetamol reduced intra-operative consumption of Fentanyl, OxyNorm, diclofenac, dexketoprofen, and clonidine (P <0.001) when compared to just GA alone. Use of pre-emptive paracetamol in reduction of intra-operative opioid requirements showed promising results but larger studies may strengthen the evidence for this association. A multimodal analgesic approach that utilizes pre-emptive paracetamol can be a viable method to decrease intra-operative of analgesic requirements.

Three-Port Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy as a Safe and Feasible Alternative to the Conventional Four-Port Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Aims A prospective observational study was performed to assess the feasibility and safety of three-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Parameters comprising age, sex, number of cases in which intra-operative difficulty were encountered, and outcomes such as number of cases that required conversion to four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy, postoperative pain on the visual analog scale (VAS), and postoperative hospital stay were assessed. We also documented difficult cases that were operated successfully with three ports, and the number of cases that needed conversion to four ports along with the reason for the conversion. Material and methods The patients were operated upon in the supine position in all cases. A pre-emptive analgesia with 1% lignocaine was administered in all cases prior to making the incision. The first port was 10-mm supraumbilical and inserted by the open technique. After insertion of the umbilical port, pneumoperitoneum was created by maintaining a maximum pressure of 12 mmHg and a flow rate of 8 L/minute. A camera head with a 30° telescope was introduced in the peritoneal cavity, and diagnostic laparoscopy was performed. A 10-mm subxiphoid port and a 5-mm subcostal port were placed under vision, with the latter placed more lateral and inferior to the conventional port position for better triangulation and ergonomics. The outcomes measured were operative time, the number of cases requiring a fourth port, postoperative pain (VAS), and postoperative hospital stay (number of days patients stayed in the hospital post-surgery until discharge). Data were collected using MS Excel, and an analysis was performed using SPSS Version 21.0. Results Data of 102 patients were analyzed prospectively. The mean age of the patients was 50.98 years, with an SD of 16.88, and the gender ratio was 73:29 (female: male). The mean operative time was 52.68 ± 20.84 minutes, with an SD of 20.84. Difficulty was encountered in 18.6% of cases in the form of pericholecystic adhesions, aberrant Calot's anatomy, empyema or mucocele of the gallbladder, or bleeding from the liver bed or cystic artery stump. Postoperative pain was less in our study due to the reduced number of ports and the use of a pre-emptive analgesia, with a mean VAS score of 1.22 and an SD of 0.56. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 1.08 days, with an SD of 0.31. We needed to convert to a four-port procedure for safety in 2.9% cases. The operative time and postoperative hospital stay in our study were similar to those of other studies, but our average pain score was less due to the use of the pre-emptive analgesia. Only three cases required conversion to four ports, and 99 cases were successfully managed with three ports without compromising safety. No bile duct injury occurred in any of our 102 cases. Conclusion From this study, we conclude that three-port cholecystectomy is feasible, and it can be performed even in difficult cases without compromising safety. The surgical time is similar to that of four-port cholecystectomy, and the postoperative stay is shorter. The decreased number of ports and the pre-emptive analgesia reduced postoperative pain, cosmesis was better, and the incidence of bile duct injury did not increase. The procedure can also be converted to four-port cholecystectomy at any time if safety is compromised. Therefore, three-port cholecystectomy is a viable and safe option in the treatment of gallstone disease.

Intrathecal Morphine for Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

ABSTRACT

Cardiac surgeries often result in significant postoperative pain, leading to considerable use of opioids for pain management. However, excessive opioid use can lead to undesirable side effects and chronic opioid use. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether preoperative intrathecal morphine could reduce postoperative opioid consumption in patients undergoing cardiac surgery requiring sternotomy. We conducted a systematic search of Cochrane, EMBASE, and MEDLINE databases from inception to May 2022 for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the use of intrathecal morphine in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Studies that evaluated intrathecal administration of other opioids or combinations of medications were excluded. The primary outcome was postoperative morphine consumption at 24 h. Secondary outcomes included time to extubation and hospital length of stay. The final analysis included ten randomized controlled trials, with a total of 402 patients. The results showed that postoperative morphine consumption at 24 h was significantly lower in the intervention group (standardized mean difference -1.43 [-2.12, -0.74], 95% CI, P < 0.0001). There were no significant differences in time to extubation and hospital length of stay. Our meta-analysis concluded that preoperative intrathecal morphine is associated with lower postoperative morphine consumption at 24 h following cardiac surgeries, without prolonging the time to extubation. The use of preoperative intrathecal morphine can be considered part of a multimodal analgesic and opioid-sparing strategy in patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Comparison Between Relative Efficacy of Erector Spinae Plane Block and Caudal Epidural Block for Postoperative Analgesia in Lumbar Fusion Surgery- A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective, randomized controlled double-blinded study.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the relative efficacy of ultrasound-guided ESPB and CEB for postoperative analgesia after a single-level lumbar fusion surgery and compared it with conventional multimodal analgesia.

METHODS

81 patients requiring single-level lumbar fusion surgery were randomly allocated into 3 groups (ESPB group, CEB group, and the control group). Demographic and surgical data (blood loss, duration of surgery, perioperative total opioid consumption, muscle relaxants used) were assessed. Postoperatively, the surgical site pain, alertness scale, satisfaction score, time to mobilization, and complications were recorded.

RESULTS

The total opioid consumption in the first 24 hours was significantly lower in both the block groups than in the control group (103.70 ± 13.34 vs 105 ± 16.01 vs 142.59 ± 40.91mcg; P < .001). The total muscle relaxant consumption was also significantly less in block groups compared to controls (50.93 ± 1.98 vs 52.04 ± 3.47 vs 55.00 ± 5.29 mg; P < .001). The intraoperative blood loss was significantly less in both the block group (327.78 ± 40.03 mL, 380.74 ± 77.80 mL) than the control group (498.89 ± 71.22 mL) (P < .001). Among the block groups, the immediate postoperative pain relief was better in the CEB group, however, the ESPB group had a longer duration of postoperative pain relief.

CONCLUSION

Both ESPB and CEB produce adequate postoperative analgesia after lumbar fusion however the duration of action was significantly longer in the ESPB group with relatively shorter surgical time and lesser blood loss compared to the CEB group.

Evaluation of Pre-emptive Analgesia in Total Knee Arthroplasty During Early Post-operative Periods

INTRODUCTION

Pre-emptive analgesia is expected to decrease post-operative pain. The degree of soft tissue release is directly related to preoperative deformity; we presume the severity of pain has a similar correlation in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The main purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of pre-emptive analgesia of different drugs in TKA with different degrees of preoperative genu varus.

METHODS

In this prospective observational study, 67 patients were enrolled with different degrees of genu varus deformity. They were subdivided into two groups: those with ≥15° and those with <15° varus deformities of the knee. Etoricoxib 60 mg and pregabalin 75 mg were administered orally in all the patients as pre-emptive analgesia two hours before surgery. Parameters such as the amount of soft tissue release, visual analog score (VAS), knee range of motion, complications, etc. were documented from the pre-operative period to 72 hours post-TKA.

RESULTS

With pre-emptive analgesia in post-TKA patients, the VAS score demonstrated a statistically significant difference at 24, 48, and 72 hours. The comparison of intraoperative flexion between <15° and ≥15° showed a statistically significant difference with pre-emptive analgesia in post-TKA patients.

CONCLUSION

The use of etoricoxib 60 mg and pregabalin 75 mg, two hours before surgery reduced the pain scores in patients undergoing TKA with different degrees of genu varus and correlated with intraoperative parameters associated with soft medial tissue release for genu varus.

Preemptive Analgesic Efficacy of Dexamethasone and Diclofenac in Mitigating Post-surgical Complications After Mandibular Third-Molar Surgery: A Systematic Review

Mandibular third-molar extraction is a frequently executed minor oral surgical procedure, with a subsequent recovery period lasting several days. Typically, preemptive administration of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and steroids has been employed, resulting in a notable decrease in postoperative complications like pain, facial swelling, trismus, and alveolar osteitis. This systematic review's primary goal was to investigate the efficacy of preemptive analgesia with dexamethasone and diclofenac in minimizing the post-surgical complications following the surgical extraction of the mandibular third molars. The systematic search was carried out to identify relevant literature in digital databases including PubMed®, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus, from January 1990 to January 2022. The search used specific keywords. The randomized clinical trials assessing the efficacy of dexamethasone and diclofenac or dexamethasone alone compared to diclofenac or placebo as preemptive analgesics were considered inclusion criteria for this systematic review. Case reports, literature reviews, letters to the editor, and non-English publications were not included. Two authors screened the titles and abstracts, and articles fulfilling the study criteria were included. After reading the full text and data collection, analysis was performed. The included article's bias was evaluated by the Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool. A digital database search yielded a total of 207 articles. After excluding duplicates and articles written in languages other than English, 90 were removed. Based on the title and abstract, out of 177, 95 studies were excluded. After full-text reading of 22 articles, 17 were eliminated because they did not meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The remaining five studies were found eligible and included in the systematic review. Four studies were of low risk, while one study had some concerns. Two studies evaluated the combination of dexamethasone with diclofenac, while three evaluated dexamethasone alone. Total samples included samples of 436 third-molar surgeries in 420 patients. There was a substantial decrease in the mean pain score and swelling measurement when diclofenac alone was compared with coadministration of diclofenac and dexamethasone. Preemptive administration of dexamethasone and diclofenac has been shown to effectively reduce pain and facial swelling, with the exception of trismus, in third-molar surgeries when compared to diclofenac alone. As a result, it is recommended to administer these drugs prior to the commencement of third-molar extraction. However, further research is mandatory, specifically good quality randomized controlled trials involving large cohorts, in order to assess any significant variations and validate these findings.

Efficacy of Lornoxicam as a Pre-emptive Analgesic in Mandibular Third Molar Surgery - A Comparative Study

Introduction

The most common complication following third molar surgery is pain. The purpose of the study is to determine the efficacy of lornoxicam as a preventive analgesic in patients undergoing surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars.

Materials and Methods

This study included 26 participants aged 18-28 years with bilateral symmetrical third molars. Group A, the control group, received lornoxicam 8 mg 1 h after surgery, whereas Group B, the study group, received lornoxicam 8 mg 1 h before surgery. All patients were evaluated for pain at the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 12th post-operative hours. The number of rescue analgesics taken within 24 h of the procedure, as well as the first occurrence of pain postoperatively, was recorded and analysed.

Results

Using the Mann-Whitney U-test and Friedman's analysis, the resulting data were statistically analysed. When Group B was compared to Group A, there was a significant difference in pain reduction levels in the immediate post-operative hours. When compared to Group A, Group B had a lower need for rescue analgesics within the first 24 h postoperatively.

Discussion

Following mandibular third molar surgery, pre-emptive use of lornoxicam is effective in reducing post-operative pain and reducing the need for rescue analgesic consumption.

The prevalence and factors associated with acute postoperative pain in elective gynecologic surgical patients at two referral hospitals in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia, 2021: a cross-sectional study

Postoperative pain is an expected and undesirable by-product of all surgical procedures. The provision of effective and safe postoperative pain management should be one of the top priorities of any healthcare, where surgical procedures are carried out. Major abdominal surgical operations require pain management services, regular pain assessment, and timely management of breakthrough pains in the postoperative period.

Objective

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with acute postoperative pain.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Minilik and Zewditu Referral hospitals from October to December 2021 and chart review and face-to-face interviews were the methods of data collection. The pain was measured at the 2, 12, and 24 h postoperatively through a numerical rating scale, and the pain was categorized as no pain (score=0), mild pain (score 1-3), moderate pain (score 4-6), or severe pain (score 7-10). All independent variables with P less than or equal to 0.2 in the univariable logistic regression were reanalyzed with multivariable logistic regression at 95% CI to determine predictive factors and a P-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

In the study period, a total of 368 eligible patients were involved, out of this 11 patients were discharged before 24 h, four patients refuse to participate two incomplete documentation and one patient was ICU admitted, therefore 350 patients were involved with a response rate of 95.1%. Among those patients 73.1% of respondents' experience at least one episodes of moderate to severe postoperative pain within the first 24 h. Preoperative anxiety (AOR: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2, 5.1), urban residency (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2, 50), participants who have not formal education (AOR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.3, 4.1), surgical patients without pre-emptive analgesia (AOR: 2.7, 95% CI: 1.3, 3.6), abdominal incision greater than 10 cm (AOR: 3.5, 95% CI: 2.1, 7.2), and surgical duration greater than or equal to 60 min (AOR: 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 3.1) were factors associated with acute postoperative pain following elective gynecologic surgery.

Conclusion

In this study, the overall incidence of moderate to severe postoperative pain after gynecologic surgery was unacceptably high, and patients undergoing gynecologic surgical procedures suffer sufficient postoperative pain need of intervention.

Analgesic efficacy of modified thoracoabdominal nerves block through the perichondrial approach in laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A retrospective study with propensity analysis

Modified thoracoabdominal nerves block through the perichondral approach (M-TAPA) was recently reported to provide broad analgesia with only a single injection of local anesthetics (LA) on each side. However, the effectiveness of M-TAPA in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is not often reported. We retrospectively evaluated the analgesic efficacy of M-TAPA in patients who underwent LC and compared it with conventional LA infiltration (LAI) by calculating the propensity score. The primary outcome was the frequency of analgesic use after surgery. Although there was no difference in the frequency of analgesic use within 48 hours (P = .063), there was significantly less analgesic use 24-48 hours after surgery in the TAPA group (P = .02). Intraoperative remifentanil administration also significantly decreased in the TAPA group (P < .001). We found that pre-incisional M-TAPA may have an advantage over LAI with respect to analgesia on postoperative day 1.

Opioid-Sparing Effects of Flurbiprofen Axetil as an Adjuvant to Ropivacaine in Pre-Emptive Scalp Infiltration for Post-Craniotomy Pain: Study Protocol for a Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Pain after craniotomy remains a poorly controlled problem that is mainly caused by the inflammatory reaction at the incision site. Nowadays, systemic opioids use, as first-line analgesics, is often limited because of adverse effects. Flurbiprofen axetil (FA) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug merged into emulsified lipid microspheres, which represent a strong affinity to inflammatory lesions. Local administration of flurbiprofen into a surgical wound has induced enhanced analgesic efficacy and few systemic or local adverse effects after oral surgery. However, the impact of local FA, as a non-opioid pharmacologic alternative, remains elusive on postoperative pain in craniotomy. In this study, we presume that pre-emptive infiltration of scalp with FA as an adjuvant to ropivacaine can lead to less sufentanil consumption postoperatively in patient controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) compared with ropivacaine alone.

Methods/Design

We design a multicenter, randomized controlled study that will enroll 216 subjects who are planned to receive supratentorial craniotomy. Patients will receive pre-emptive infiltration of scalp either with 50 mg FA and 0.5% ropivacaine, or with 0.5% ropivacaine alone. Primary outcome is total consumption of sufentanil with PCIA device at 48 h postoperatively.

Discussion

This is the first study attempting to explore the analgesic and safety profile of local FA as an adjuvant to ropivacaine for incisional pain in patients undergoing craniotomy. It will provide additional insights into the opioid-sparing analgesia pathways by local administration of NSAIDs for neurosurgery.

The Effect of Pre-Emptive Analgesia on the Postoperative Pain in Pediatric Otolaryngology: A Randomized, Controlled Trial

The aim of this randomized, controlled trial was to determine whether children undergoing otolaryngological procedures (adenoidectomy, adenotonsillotomy, or tonsillectomy) benefit from pre-emptive analgesia in the postoperative period. Methods: Fifty-five children were assessed for eligibility for the research. Four children refused to participate during the first stage of the study, leaving fifty-one (n = 51) to be randomly assigned either to receive pre-emptive analgesic acetaminophen (15 mg/kg; n = 26) or a placebo (n = 25) in addition to midazolam (0.5 mg/kg) as premedication. All children were anesthetized with sevoflurane, propofol (2−4 mg/kg), and fentanyl (2 mcg/kg). Postoperative pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Wong−Baker Faces Pain Rating Scale, and the Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scale. The postoperative pain was measured 1, 2, 4, and 6 h after the surgery. Results: The clinical trial reported a statistically significant correlation between administering pre-emptive analgesia (acetaminophen) and reducing pain in children after otolaryngological procedures compared to placebo. The ratio of boys to girls and age were similar among the groups (p > 0.05), so the groups of children were not divided by gender or age. Conclusions: Standard pre-emptive analgesia reduced the severity of pain in the postoperative period after otolaryngological procedures in children. Acetaminophen given before surgery reduces postoperative pain in children undergoing otolaryngological procedures.

Pre-emptive 600 mg oral gabapentin reduces morphine requirements and postoperative pain following non-obstetric lower abdominal surgery

BACKGROUND

Postoperative pain following lower abdominal surgery is one of the most common complications reported by patients. Gabapentin given two hours before surgery as pre-emptive analgesia has been reported to reduce postoperative pain and decrease postoperative analgesia requirements. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of 600 mg oral gabapentin as a pre-emptive analgesia to reduce postoperative pain and morphine requirements following nonobstetric lower abdominal surgery.

METHODS

A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted with 72 subjects acquired by consecutive sampling from November 2019 to February 2020 at Tangerang District Hospital. Eligible subjects were randomized to two groups: placebo or 600 mg oral gabapentin two hours before skin incision. The total morphine requirements, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, first-time analgesic demand, and side effects were assessed during the first 24 hours postoperatively.

RESULTS

The first 24-hour postoperative total morphine was higher in the placebo group (5.33 ± 1.97 mg vs. 2.47 ± 1.90 mg; P < 0.001). The pain scale at rest and movement during recovery, two hours postoperatively, and 24 hours postoperatively were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05). The Mann-Whitney test showed a significant difference in the first-time morphine required as rescue analgesia between the gabapentin group (161.5 [25-990] minutes) and placebo group (67.5 [10-371] minutes; P < 0.001). No significant difference was found in adverse events between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Following nonobstetric lower abdominal surgery, 600 mg oral gabapentin as a pre-emptive analgesia attenuates postoperative pain and reduces morphine requirements.

Pre-Emptive Topical Ketorolac Tromethamine 0.5% for Panretinal Photocoagulation

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of topical ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% given pre-emptively a day before, for alleviating pain in patients undergoing panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) treatment. Methods: A controlled single-blinded study was conducted on 33 patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR; severe nonproliferative DR, proliferative DR, or advanced diabetic eye disease) who required PRP treatment in both eyes simultaneously. Each eye of the patients was randomly assigned for ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% eyedrop or placebo. Both eyedrop bottles were randomly labeled. Eyedrops were self-administered by the patients, 4 times a day before the procedure (at 6 am, 12 noon, 6 pm, and 12 midnight) and every 15 min for 1 h (4 times) before the laser. Each patient was subjected to PRP using a Visulas 532s Zeiss device set to spot size 200 μm, time 0.10 s, and ∼600 burns in each eye. The pain score was evaluated immediately after treatment in each eye independently with Scott's visual analog scale (VAS) and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). Results: VAS pain score in ketorolac-treated eyes (median 3.0, interquatile range [IQR] ±2.5) was lower than in placebo-treated eyes (median 5.0, IQR ±3.0). Total Pain Rate Index score from MPQ was lower in ketorolac-treated eyes (median 3.0, IQR ±3.0) than in placebo-treated eyes (median 3.0, IQR ±2.5). Both pain score differences are statistically significant with P ˂ 0.05. Conclusion: Topical ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% given pre-emptively a day before is effective in alleviating pain in patients undergoing PRP treatment.

Pre-emptive multimodal analgesic regimen reduces post-operative epidural demand boluses in traumatic shaft of femur fracture - A randomised controlled trial

Background and Aims:

The efficacy of preemptive multimodal analgesia in post-traumatic patients has not been elucidated. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of preemptive MMA regimen in reducing the epidural demand boluses in the first 48 hours following the traumatic shaft of femur fractures.

Methods:

Patients scheduled for traumatic femur fracture surgery were randomised (n = 135) into two groups in this double blind, placebo controlled trial. Patients received either (Preemptive multimodal group) intravenous acetaminophen 1 gm, diclofenac 75 mg, morphine 3 mg, 75 mg Pregabalin (per oral) or a placebo 30 minutes pre-operatively. Intra-operatively, all patients were managed with spinal and epidural anaesthesia. Post-operatively, patients received patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) programmed to deliver a bolus of 5 ml of 0.2% Ropivacaine with 2 μg/ml of Fentanyl with lockout interval time of 15 min. Primary outcome was number of PCEA boluses received post-operatively over 48 h. Secondary outcomes measures were time to receive first epidural bolus, postoperative VAS scores and episodes of post-operative nausea, vomiting and sedation. Total number of PCEA bolus doses over 48 hours and VAS scores were analysed using Mann-Whitney test.

Results:

Significant reduction in median number of demand boluses were observed in preemptive multimodal group (3 [2-4]) compared to placebo group (5 [4-7]); P = 0.00. Time to first rescue epidural bolus was significantly greater in preemptive multimodal group than placebo group.

Conclusion:

The use of preemptive MMA regimen reduced the requirement of demand epidural bolus doses.

Impact of Pre-Emptive Intravenous Ibuprofen on Perioperative Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Third Molar Extraction: A Randomised Controlled Study

Objective

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of pre-emptive intravenous (iv) ibuprofen on pain during and after the mandibular third molar surgery.

Methods

A total of 60 patients were included in the study. They were allocated as ibuprofen 800 mg iv+dexketoprofen 50 mg (group 1), ibuprofen 800 mg iv alone (group 2) or placebo (group 3). A local anaesthetic infiltration was administered to all patients. In all patients, haemodynamic values (mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR)) were recorded preoperatively, and infusions were started. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scale was used to assess anxiety states. Surgery started 15 min after the infusion. Haemodynamic values and pain scores with visual analogue scale (VAS) were recorded. Pain scores were recorded postoperatively at rest (VASR) and swallowing (VASS).

Results

There was no significant difference in the preoperative STAI values between the groups (p>0.05). HR, MAP and VAS pain scores were significantly higher in group 3 than in groups 1 and 2 (p<0.05). VASR and VASS scores were significantly higher in group 3 than in group 1 in the first 4 h postoperatively (p<0.05). VASS scores were significantly higher in group 3 than in group 2 at 1-4 h postoperatively (p<0.05), but there was no difference in VASR and VASS scores at 48 h after surgery.

Conclusion

Ibuprofen alone or in combination with dexketoprofen provided similar analgesia in the perioperative period when administered pre-emptively.

Pectoral nerve blocks and postoperative pain outcomes after mastectomy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Several studies have evaluated the effect of pectoral nerve blocks to improve postoperative analgesia following breast cancer surgery resulting in contradictory findings. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of Pecs blocks on postoperative analgesia in women following mastectomies.

METHODS

We performed a quantitative systematic review in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Articles of randomized controlled trials that compared Pecs block (types I and II) to a control group in patients undergoing mastectomy were included. The primary outcome was total opioid consumption 24 hours after surgery. Secondary outcomes included pain scores and side effects. Meta-analysis was performed using the random effect model.

RESULTS

7 randomized controlled trials with 458 patients were included in the analysis. The effect of pectoral nerve blocks on postoperative opioid consumption compared with control revealed a significant effect, weighted mean difference (WMD) (95% CI) of --4.99 (-7.90 to -2.08) mg intravenous morphine equivalents (p=0.001). In addition, postoperative pain compared with control was reduced at 6 hours after surgery: WMD (95% CI) of -0.72 (-1.37 to -0.07), p=0.03, and at 24 hours after surgery: WMD (95% CI) of -0.91 (-1.81 to -0.02), p=0.04.

DISCUSSION

This quantitative analysis of randomized controlled trials demonstrates that the Pecs block is effective for reducing postoperative opioid consumption and pain in patients undergoing mastectomy. The Pecs block should be considered as an effective strategy to improve analgesic outcomes in patients undergoing mastectomies for breast cancer treatment.

Comparison of the effect of three different adjuvants on the analgesic duration of single injection interscalene brachial plexus block: a prospective, randomized, triple blinded clinical trial

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Use of regional anesthesia can result in faster recovery and better patient satisfaction. Addition of perineural adjuncts to local anesthetics may improve the duration of analgesia, but there is a paucity of data comparing them in a single randomized trial. We compared the effects of three adjuncts clonidine, dexamethasone, and buprenorphine, on the duration of analgesia of interscalene brachial plexus block.

METHODS

160 patients, undergoing elective shoulder surgery, were randomized to four groups to receive an interscalene block with one of the following solutions: ropivacaine alone, ropivacaine with clonidine 75 µg, ropivacaine with dexamethasone 8 mg, or ropivacaine with buprenorphine 300 µg. The primary outcome variable was the duration of analgesia; secondary outcome measures were time to onset of the block, and the duration of sensory and motor blocks.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference in the total analgesia time among the four groups; p=0.11. The pairwise comparison in analgesic time and 99% CI were: control versus clonidine (-1.94 hours (-7.33 to 3.12)), control versus dexamethasone (-4.16 hours (-9.50 to 0.58)) and control versus buprenorphine (-1.1 hours (-5.34 to 3.23)). There was no differences in block set-up time, or total sensory and motor block duration among the groups.

CONCLUSION

There was no significant improvement in the duration of analgesia with addition of any of the three adjuncts to interscalene blocks. However, there was a larger than expected variability in patient response, hence the study may have been underpowered for the primary outcome.

Preventive skin analgesia with lidocaine patch for management of post-thoracotomy pain: Results of a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study

Background

To evaluate whether pre‐emptive skin analgesia using a lidocaine patch 5% would improve the effects of systemic morphine analgesia for controlling acute post‐thoracotomy pain.

Methods

This was a double‐blind, placebo controlled, prospective study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive lidocaine 5% patch (lidocaine group) or a placebo (placebo group) three days before thoracotomy. Postoperative analgesia was induced in all cases with intravenous morphine analgesia. The intergroup differences were assessed in order to evaluate whether the lidocaine patch 5% would have effects on pain intensity when at rest and after coughing (primary end‐point) on morphine consumption, on the recovery of respiratory function, and on peripheral painful pathways measured with N2 and P2 laser‐evoked potential (secondary end‐points).

Results

A total of 90 patients were randomized, of whom 45 were allocated to the lidocaine group and 45 to the placebo group. Lidocaine compared with the placebo group showed a significant reduction in pain intensity both at rest (P = 0.013) and after coughing (P = 0.015), and in total morphine consumption (P = 0.001); and also showed a better recovery of flow expiratory volume in one second (P = 0.025) and of forced vital capacity (P = 0.037). The placebo group compared with the lidocaine group presented a reduction in amplitude of N2 (P = 0.001) and P2 (P = 0.03), and an increase in the latency of N2 (P = 0.023) and P2 (P = 0.025) laser‐evoked potential.

Conclusions

The preventive skin analgesia with lidocaine patch 5% seems to be a valid adjunct to intravenous morphine analgesia for controlling post‐thoracotomy pain. However, our initial results should be corroborated/confirmed by larger studies.

Effect of pre-emptive analgesia by continuous femoral nerve block on early postoperative cognitive function following total knee arthroplasty in elderly patients

To the best of our knowledge, the effect of pre-emptively blocking pain transmission on acute postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) has not yet been assessed. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of pre-emptive analgesia via a continuous femoral nerve block (CFNB) on postoperative pain and early cognitive function following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery in elderly patients. CFNB was performed prior to TKA surgery in the pre-emptive analgesia group (n=30) and following TKA surgery in the control group (n=30). POCD was defined as a two-point reduction in the postoperative score compared with the preoperative score in the mini-mental state examination. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the intensity of pain at rest and during exercise. The intraoperative dose of remifentanil in the pre-emptive analgesia group was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.01). In the preemptive analgesia group, VAS scores at three days post-surgery were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). The incidence of POCD on the third postoperative day was slightly lower in the pre-emptive analgesia group compared with the control group. In conclusion, the results demonstrate that pre-emptive analgesia by CFNB may promote the recovery of early cognitive function following TKA in elderly patients.

A split-mouth, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled study to analyze the pre-emptive effect of etoricoxib 120 mg on inflammatory events following removal of unerupted mandibular third molars

Pain after third molar extraction has been considered the most suitable pharmaceutical model to evaluate acute pain. This study aimed to evaluate the pre-emptive analgesic/anti-inflammatory efficacy of etoricoxib 120 mg following mandibular third molar surgery. A split-mouth, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted with patients undergoing the surgical removal of mandibular third molars. All volunteers were allocated randomly to receive either etoricoxib 120 mg or placebo 1h preoperatively, and inflammatory events were evaluated. An estimated sample of 18 surgical units per group was required based on a pilot study (95% confidence level and 80% statistical power). Rescue medication was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method through log-rank Mantel-Cox test and Pearson linear correlation (P<0.05). Pre-emptive etoricoxib reduced postoperative pain scores significantly in comparison to placebo (P<0.001), with a pain score peak at 6h after surgery (P<0.001). The mean rescue medication consumption was lower in the etoricoxib group compared to the placebo group over the study period (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between groups related to swelling and trismus. The pre-emptive administration of etoricoxib 120 mg significantly reduced the postoperative pain intensity and the need for rescue medication, but did not reduce swelling or trismus.

Preventive analgesia for postoperative pain control: a broader concept

Pain from surgical procedures occurs as a consequence of tissue trauma and may result in physical, cognitive, and emotional discomfort. Almost a century ago, researchers first described a possible relationship between intraoperative tissue damage and an intensification of acute pain and long-term postoperative pain, now referred to as central sensitization. Nociceptor activation is mediated by chemicals that are released in response to cellular or tissue damage. Pre-emptive analgesia is an important concept in understanding treatment strategies for postoperative analgesia. Pre-emptive analgesia focuses on postoperative pain control and the prevention of central sensitization and chronic neuropathic pain by providing analgesia administered preoperatively but not after surgical incision. Additional research in pre-emptive analgesia is warranted to better determine good outcome measurements and a better appreciation with regard to treatment optimization. Preventive analgesia reduces postoperative pain and consumption of analgesics, and this appears to be the most effective means of decreasing postoperative pain. Preventive analgesia, which includes multimodal preoperative and postoperative analgesic therapies, results in decreased postoperative pain and less postoperative consumption of analgesics.

The evaluation of efficacy and safety of paravertebral block for perioperative analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy

BACKGROUND

Paravertebral block is a popular regional anesthetic technique used for perioperative analgesia in multiple surgical procedures. There are very few randomized trials of its use in laparoscopic cholecystectomy in medical literature. This study was aimed at assessing its efficacy and opioid-sparing potential in this surgery.

METHODS

FIFTY PATIENTS WERE INCLUDED IN THIS PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY AND ALLOCATED TO TWO GROUPS: Group A (25 patients) receiving general anesthesia alone and Group B (25 patients) receiving nerve-stimulator-guided bilateral thoracic Paravertebral Block (PVB) at T6 level with 0.3 ml/kg of 0.25% bupivacaine prior to induction of general anesthesia. Intraoperative analgesia was supplemented with fentanyl (0.5 μg/kg) based on hemodynamic and clinical parameters. Postoperatively, patients in both the groups received Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) morphine for the first 24 hours. The efficacy of PVB was assessed by comparing intraoperative fentanyl requirements, postoperative VAS scores at rest, and on coughing and PCA morphine consumption between the two groups.

RESULTS

Intraoperative supplemental fentanyl was significantly less in Group B compared to Group A (17.6 μg and 38.6 μg, respectively, P =0.001). PCA morphine requirement was significantly low in the PVB group at 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively compared to that in Group A (4.4 mg vs 6.9 mg, 7.6 mg vs 14.2 mg, 11.6 mg vs 20.0 mg, 16.8 mg vs 27.2 mg, respectively; P <0.0001 at all intervals).

CONCLUSION

Pre-induction PVB resulted in improved analgesia for 24 hours following laparoscopic cholecystectomy in this study, along with a significant reduction in perioperative opioid consumption and opioid-related side effects.

Preemptive use of ketamine on post operative pain of appendectomy

Background

Although early reviews of clinical findings were mostly negative, there is still a widespread belief for the efficacy of preemptive analgesia among clinicians. In this study, we evaluated whether the preemptive use of ketamine decreases post operative pain in patients undergoing appendectomy.

Methods

In double-blind, randomized clinical trials, 80 adult male patients undergoing an operation for acute appendicitis were studied. Patients were randomly assigned to two groups. In the operating room, patients in the ketamine group received 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine IV 10 minutes before the surgical incision. In the control group, 0.5 mg/kg of normal saline was injected. The pain intensity was assessed at time 0 (immediately after arousal) and 4, 12, and 24 hours postoperatively using the 10 points visual analogue scale (VAS).

Results

Eighty patients (40 for both groups) were enrolled in this study. For all of the evaluated times, the VAS score was significantly lower in the ketamine group compared to the control. The interval time for the first analgesic request was 23.1 ± 6.7 minutes for the case group and 18.1 ± 7.3 minutes for the control (P = 0.02). The total number of pethidine injections in the first 24 hours postoperatively was 0.6 ± 0.6 for the case group and 2.0 ± 0.8 for the controls (P = 0.032). There were no drug side effects for the case group.

Conclusions

A low dose of intravenously administered ketamine had a preemptive effect in reducing pain after appendectomy.

Study of the effect of oral gabapentin used as preemptive analgesia to attenuate post-operative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anesthesia

Aims:

To study the effect of oral gabapentin used as preemptive analgesia to attenuate post operative pain in patients undergoing abdominal surgery under general anesthesia.

Materials and Methods:

In a randomized double blind study, 60 patients were divided into two groups. Group A received 600mg gabapentin and group B oral received placebo 1 h prior to surgery. Anesthesia was induced with Propofol 2 mg/kg and Vecuronium 0.1mg/kg and maintained with 60% N₂O in O₂ and Vecuronium 0.02 mg/kg. All cases were given Fentanyl 2µg/kg as pre medication and a repeat dose 1µg/kg at the end of the first hour. Assessment of post-operative pain was made with the visual analog score (VAS) at extubation (0 h), 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h post-operatively. Post-operative analgesia was provided with intravenous Tramadol. The first dose was given in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit as 2mg/kg, and repeated at 8 and 16 h. Rescue analgesia was given with Diclofenac 1.5mg/kg, slow intravenous. The number of doses of rescue analgesia in both the groups was noted.

Results:

The VAS scores at 0, 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 h were 1.9 vs. 2.4 (P=0.002), 2.3 vs. 3.0 (P=0.000), 3.2 vs. 3.7 (P=0.006), 2.9 vs. 4.4 (P=0.000), 3.6 vs. 4.6 (P=0.000), and 3.7 vs.4.6 (P=0.000), respectively. Numbers of patients requiring rescue analgesia with Diclofenac were 3 vs. 14 (P=0.004).

Conclusion:

A single oral dose of gabapentin given pre-operatively enhanced the analgesic effect of Tramadol as it also reduced the requirement of rescue analgesia with Diclofenac.

The influence of pre-emptive analgesia on postoperative analgesia and its objective evaluation

INTRODUCTION

The evaluation of pain intensity is still a subject of research. Mostly psychological evaluations are used. We started to conduct biochemical evaluation in animal experiments. Now we present biochemical evaluation in postoperative pain in man.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In 67 patients herniotomy was done. For pre-emptive analgesia morphine and pethidine were used and the following indicators were measured: visual analogue scale (VAS), measurement of lipid spectra, saccharides and proteins, thioredoxin, super-oxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and NAD(P)H-oxidase (NOX), and free radicals using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). Blood samples were taken and tested: before pre-medication and intervention, 4 h after and 24 h after intervention.

RESULTS

Free radicals (FR) increased in individual samples during the postoperative course in pethidine and without pre-medication. After application of morphine the FR were insignificantly reduced. Statistically significant differences were found in albumin, prealbumin, apolipoprotein A, total cholesterol, atherosclerotic index, CRP, glucose, and thioredoxin (p ≤ 0.001). A greater difference was seen in VAS values between morphine and pethidine premedications (p ≤ 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

It was proved that the biochemical markers of lipid, protein and saccharide metabolisms and free radicals as well as singlet oxygen can serve as very good indicators of the intensity of pain and nociception. In patients it was proved that pre-emptive analgesia plays an important role in reducing the intensity of postoperative pain. From the three modalities of pre-emptive analgesia morphine represents the best solution.

Comrarative study of infiltration and surface application of bupivacaine in post tonsillectomy pain

The concept of preamptive analgesia using bupivacaine to minimize post operative pain is a well established fact in surgery today. But the role ol bupivacaine to control post operative pain in tonsillectomy is still viewed with some degree of suspicion. The review of medical literature gives us conflicting views regarding its use. We present a randomised double blind study of 80 cases in which bupivacaine was used in the form of infilteration (preoperatively and packs (postoperatively) to minimize post tonsillectomy pain. The results were statistically analysed using 't' test and bupivacaine was found to be highly effective in minimizing post operative tonsillectomy pain. But the superiority of one method of application over the other could not be established.