Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) Health Survey After Midline Laparotomy With the Rectus Sheath Block (RSB) Analgesia: A Randomised Trial of Patients With Cancer and Benign Disease.

Abstract

Our original hypothesis was that the rectus sheath block (RSB) analgesia could enhance patient satisfaction and decrease pain following midline laparotomy. Initially, 56 patients were randomized into four groups; control group (n=12), single-dose (n=16), repeated-dose (n=12) and continuous infusion (n=16) RSB analgesia groups. The BPI (Brief Pain Inventory) survey was conducted preoperatively and at one and four weeks and 12 months postoperatively. The patients pain 24 h postoperatively and satisfaction 48 h postoperatively was filled on an 11-point numeric rating scale (NRS). The repeated-dose group had lower BPI severity score (p=0.045) and BPI interference score (p=0.043) mean values postoperatively compared to the three other groups separately. Also, the time effect on the linear mixed model in BPI interference score mean values was statistically significant (p=0.008), which means that in the repeated dose group preoperative BPI severity score [2.7 (3.9)] and interference score [4.3 (4.2)] mean (SD) values were significantly higher than the BPI severity score [1.3 (0.8)] and interference score [1.5 (1.8)] mean (SD) values following surgery. The higher elevation in BPI severity score and decrease in interference score values in the repeated dose group and also the time effect in a linear mixed model in BPI interference score were statistically significant.