Efficacy of Epidural Analgesia Compared to Intravenous Lidocaine for Postoperative Pain in Major Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Critical appraisal on the impact of preoperative rehabilitation and outcomes after major abdominal and cardiothoracic surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Influence of anaesthetic and analgesic techniques on outcome after surgery

Frailty poses unique challenges for patients undergoing major cancer surgeries due to their extreme vulnerability to physiological stressors and can be an important factor in determining postoperative outcomes. The objective of the study was to determine the incidence of frailty in patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgeries and identify the risk factors predicting poor outcomes. This was a prospective observational study conducted following institutional ethics approval and CTRI registration. We included 308 adult patients who underwent major abdominal cancer surgeries over two years. The preoperative frailty score was calculated using the 11-point modified frailty index score (mFI scale). Patients with a mFI score ≥ 3 points were considered frail. Clinical outcomes such as postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grades III and IV), surgical site infections, need for vasopressors, mechanical ventilation, acute kidney injury (AKI), length of ICU and hospital stay, and mortality at 30 days were recorded. The overall incidence of frailty according to the mFI scale was 8.1%. Age and higher American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) status were significantly associated with frailty (OR -1.073, p < 0.001, and OR -10.220, p < 0.001) respectively. Frailty was an independent predictor of major postoperative complications (OR -8.147, 95%; CI -2.524-26.292, p < 0.001). Frailty was also significantly associated with an increased duration of mechanical ventilation and length of stay (p < 0.001). The modified frailty index (mFI) score remains a strong predictor of postoperative complications in patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgeries and can help optimize risk factors to minimize complications. Joshi M, Bhoslae SJ, Pandhare J, Rathod R, Solanki SL, Kulkarni AP. Effect of Frailty on Postoperative Outcomes Following Major Abdominal Surgeries: A Prospective Observational Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(11):1038-1043.

Epidural analgesia: first do no harm

Role of Factor VII in Correcting Dilutional Coagulopathy and Reducing Re-operations for Bleeding Following Non-traumatic Major Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Surgery

Aim Extended VTE (eVTE) prophylaxis following major abdominal cancer surgery is well documented across national guidelines and associated with reduced VTE incidence. Following cases of VTE after major abdominal non-cancer surgery, eVTE prophylaxis is being increasingly favoured for both cancer and non-cancer patients in the General Surgery department at a district general hospital in Birmingham. To improve prescription rate of eVTE prophylaxis following major abdominal surgery where appropriate and improve the quality and consistency of eVTE prophylaxis documentation in operation notes, to reduce error and ensure safe mitigation against VTE risk following major abdominal surgery. Method Theatre and ward lists were reviewed across 4 weeks to identify suitable patients for inclusion. Data collected was on the indication, prescription, and documentation of eVTE prophylaxis. Following implementation of interventions, results were compared to previous audit cycles. Results Operation note documentation of eVTE prophylaxis was significantly improved, with documentation rate at 76.2% compared with 30.4% previously (p=0.024). Whilst overall prescription rate remained similar, 100% of cancer patients received eVTE prophylaxis when indicated, compared to only 72.7% previously. Conclusions The documentation rate of eVTE prophylaxis on operation notes was significantly improved following our interventions, alongside improved prescription rates of eVTE prophylaxis for cancer patients. Further cycles would benefit from data collection over a longer duration to achieve a larger sample size. Finally, a comparison of VTE incidence across cancer and non-cancer groups, before and after interventions, would be useful in determining whether eVTE prophylaxis in both subgroups should be incorporated in local guidelines.

Background: Post-operative outcomes of a major abdominal surgery depend on careful &amp; effective post-operative management. But it is a critical job especially in children. Obtaining adequate analgesia after major surgery is a problematic issue and postoperative pain still imposes a major burden of suffering in surgical patients.Objectives: The principle objectives of the study is to evaluate the effects of intravenous lidocaine infusion in pain management of pediatric population undergone in major abdominal surgery; to reduce post-operative morbidity &amp; enhance better surgical outcome in children.Methodology: This is a randomized control trial carried out from January 2015-June2015,in a tertiary care hospital among 60 cases of 4 to 14 years children with major abdominal surgery without having any pulmonary, cardiac, hepatic or renal insufficiency. Grouping of patients that is lidocaine infusion group (Group A) and control group (Group B) was made among admitted cases for elective abdominal surgery by simple random technique by means of lottery. For assessment of postoperative pain FLACC Scale was used in both groups. Clinical examination findings &amp; specifically designed data collection sheet with a set questionnaire were used as research instruments. Formulated data was analyzed by SPSS version 17, taking p value &lt;0.05 as significant.Results: It is noted that, after 24 hours of operation most of the patients 56.7% of group A had mild pain whereas 90% patients of group B had moderate pain (p&lt;0.001)&amp; during that time there was no patient with severe pain in group A whereas in group B 10% patients were with severe pain. At 48 hours, pain was absent in 13.3% children of group A and 6.7% in group B. In group A most of the children 76.7%had mild pain compared to moderate pain 18 (60%) in group B children at that hours (P&lt;0.001). Again, regarding required amount of analgesics, patients received I/V lidocaine required less amount of analgesics than its counterpart. In present study, complications was noted only 3.3% patien in group A, where as in the opposite group it was found in 23.3% &amp; p was &lt;0.05. In group A, in 50% patients post operative bowel sound was returned within 72 hours, compared to 73.3% patients in group B. The p value was 0.001. About post-operative hospital stay, 83.3% children of the group A were released from hospital after 5th P.O.D whereas, in group B, only 50% children were released after 7th P.O.D of operation. The P value was 0.03 that is also significant.Conclusion: Intravenous lidocaine could improve immediate and late post-operative pain with early recovery after major abdominal surgery in children &amp; it can contribute to rapid postoperative rehabilitation programs.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2018, Vol.10(1); 23-27

BackgroundElectrical impedance tomography (EIT) of the lungs facilitates visualization of ventilation distribution during mechanical ventilation. Its intraoperative use could provide the basis for individual optimization of ventilator settings, especially in patients at risk for ventilation-perfusion mismatch and impaired gas exchange, such as patients undergoing major open upper abdominal surgery. EIT throughout major open upper abdominal surgery could encounter difficulties in belt positioning and signal quality. Thus, we conducted a pilot-study and tested whether EIT is feasible in patients undergoing major open upper abdominal surgery.MethodsFollowing institutional review board’s approval and written informed consent, we included patients scheduled for major open upper abdominal surgery of at least 3 hours duration. EIT measurements were conducted prior to intubation, at the time of skin incision, then hourly during surgery until shortly prior to extubation and after extubation. Number of successful intraoperative EIT measurements and reasons for failures were documented. From the valid measurements, a functional EIT image of changes in tidal impedance was generated for every time point. Regions of interest were defined as horizontal halves of the picture. Monitoring of ventilation distribution was assessed using the center of ventilation index, and also using the total and dorsal ventilated lung area. All parameter values prior to and post intubation as well as extubation were compared. A p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsA total of 120 intraoperative EIT measurements during major abdominal surgery lasting 4-13 hours were planned in 14 patients. The electrode belt was attached between the 2nd and 4th intercostal space. Consecutive valid measurements could be acquired in 13 patients (93%). 111 intraoperative measurements could be retrieved as planned (93%). Main obstacle was the contact of skin electrodes. Despite the high belt position, distribution of tidal volume showed a significant shift of ventilation towards ventral lung regions after intubation. This was reversed after weaning from mechanical ventilation.ConclusionsDespite a high belt position, monitoring of ventilation distribution is feasible in patients undergoing major open upper abdominal surgery lasting from 4 to 13 hours. Therefore, further interventional trials in order to optimize ventilatory management should be initiated.

Continuous positive airway pressure after major abdominal surgery: an independent discussion of the Prevention of Respiratory Insufficiency after Surgical Management trial

Anaemia affects 30-50% of patients before they undergo major surgery. Preoperative anaemia is associated with increased need for blood transfusion, postoperative complications and worse patient outcomes after surgery. International guidelines support the use of intravenous iron to correct anaemia in patients before surgery. However, the use of preoperative intravenous iron for patient benefit has not been assessed in the setting of a formal clinical trial. To assess if intravenous iron given to patients with anaemia before major abdominal surgery is beneficial by reducing transfusion rates, postoperative complications, hospital stay and re-admission to hospital, and improving quality of life outcomes. A multicentre, double-blinded, randomised, controlled, Phase III clinical trial, with 1 : 1 randomisation comparing placebo (normal saline) with intravenous iron (intravenous ferric carboxymaltose 1000 mg). Randomisation and treatment allocation were by a secure web-based service. The study was conducted across 46 hospitals in England, Scotland and Wales between September 2013 and September 2018. Patients aged > 18 years, undergoing elective major open abdominal surgery, with anaemia [Hb level of > 90 g/l and < 120 g/l (female patients) and < 130 g/l (male patients)] who could undergo randomisation and treatment 10-42 days before their operation. Double-blinded study comparing placebo of normal saline with 1000 mg of ferric carboxymaltose administered 10-42 days prior to surgery. Co-primary end points were risk of blood transfusion or death at 30 days postoperatively, and rate of blood transfusions at 30 days post operation. A total of 487 patients were randomised (243 given placebo and 244 given intravenous iron), of whom 474 completed the trial and provided data for the analysis of the co-primary end points. The use of intravenous iron increased preoperative Hb levels (mean difference 4.7 g/l, 95% confidence interval 2.7 to 6.8 g/l; p < 0.0001), but had no effect compared with placebo on risk of blood transfusion or death (risk ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.78 to 1.37; p = 0.84; absolute risk difference +0.8%, 95% confidence interval -7.3% to 9.0%), or rates of blood transfusion (rate ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.68 to 1.43; p = 0.93; absolute rate difference 0.00, 95% confidence interval -0.14 to 0.15). There was no difference in postoperative complications or hospital stay. The intravenous iron group had higher Hb levels at the 8-week follow-up (difference in mean 10.7 g/l, 95% confidence interval 7.8 to 13.7 g/l; p < 0.0001). There were a total of 71 re-admissions to hospital for postoperative complications in the placebo group, compared with 38 re-admissions in the intravenous iron group (rate ratio 0.54, 95% confidence interval 0.34 to 0.85; p = 0.009). There were no differences between the groups in terms of mortality (two per group at 30 days post operation) or in any of the prespecified safety end points or serious adverse events. In patients with anaemia prior to elective major abdominal surgery, there was no benefit from giving intravenous iron before the operation. The impact of iron repletion on recovery from postoperative anaemia, and the association with reduced re-admission to hospital for complications, should be investigated. In the preoperative intravenous iron to treat anaemia in major surgery (PREVENTT) trial, all patients included had anaemia and only 20% had their anaemia corrected before surgery. The definition and causality of iron deficiency in this setting is not clear. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN67322816 and ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01692418. This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25 No. 11. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Background: Pain management is an integral part of recovery after major abdominal surgeries. Traditionally, epidural analgesia is used for postoperative pain management in major abdominal surgeries. However, intravenous lidocaine has recently been proven to be a good alternative. However, there is very limited evidence comparing their efficacy in major abdominal surgery. The aim of this review is to compare the effectiveness of epidural analgesia with intravenous lidocaine in reducing pain and opioid consumption following major abdominal surgery. Methods: We searched PubMed and Cochrane Library from inception to May 2024 to identify studies that match our topic. We performed all statistical analyses using RevMan. The primary outcome was pain scores. The other outcomes were opioid requirements, postoperative nausea and vomiting, hospital stay duration, and time to pass flatus. Results: Seven studies (six randomized clinical trials and one observational study; n = 643) were included. Our results suggest that epidural bupivacaine significantly reduced pain scores during the first 24 h postoperatively as compared with the patients who received intravenous lidocaine (Std. mean difference: -0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.40, -0.06; and p=0.008). There was no difference at 48 h (Std. mean difference: -0.09; 95% CI: -0.27, 0.08; and p=0.028) and 72 h intervals (Std. mean difference: -0.08; 95% CI: -0.25, 0.09; and p=0.037). Conclusion: Our study shows that epidural analgesia, particularly epidural bupivacaine, provides superior pain relief as compared to intravenous lidocaine during the first 24 h postoperatively. However, there was heterogeneity among studies. Thus, in future, large standardized randomized controlled trials are required.

Background: Postoperative respiratory complications are still a matter of ‘folds in forehead’ for surgeons. Though optimum pre-operative preparation and good surgical technique, we always observe that there are some sorts of post-operative chest complications after major abdominal surgery. Now-a-days, chest physiotherapy is usually advised by the surgeons in the immediate postoperative period. But still it is not in a constructive way. There is no well-documented study regarding the effectiveness of chest physiotherapy in an immediate post-operative period of major upper abdominal surgery. So, this is a time demanding study in this regard. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of chest physiotherapy during the immediate postoperative period among patients undergoing elective major abdominal surgery. Methods: All patients who underwent major abdominal surgery were selected by purposive sampling. Thereafter, they were scrutinized according to eligibility criteria and 100 patients were finalized. Among them, 50 were enrolled under control group and rest 50 were enrolled under study group. This experimental study was conducted in department of Surgery, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, from March 2017 to December 2017. Results: The mean age of the participants in control and study groups were 49.73±15.91 year and 53.77±12.21 year respectively. The female to male ratio in these groups was 1:2.13 and 1:3.17 respectively. Two groups presented similar levels of pain before and after surgery. The group receiving chest physiotherapy presented a lower pain score on the immediate postoperative day. The preoperative spirometry values (expressed as a percentage of the predicted values) were almost similar in two groups and presented average decreases of 20% in FVC, FEV, and PEF on the 14th post-operative day. It was observed that the measurements of oxygen-hemoglobin saturations were different for the control (96.7±1.6 vs 95.2±1.8; p=0.005) and study group (97.3±1.8 vs 94.6±2.5; p=0.03). Respiratory distress was not significantly higher in control group but interestingly there were statistically significant differences observed between the control and study group regarding fever, Surgical site infection (SSI) and mean hospital stay. Conclusion: Chest physiotherapy in major abdominal surgery shows an excellent outcome that accelerates the overall recovery. J Dhaka Med Coll. 2022; 31(2) : 177-181

Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) is an established technique for postoperative pain relief after major abdominal surgery. However it is still under discussion whether pre-incisional TEA can reduce postoperative pain perception or postoperative analgesic consumption. The present prospective, randomized, double-blind study was performed to investigate the effects of intra- and postoperative TEA vs only postoperative TEA using ropivacaine 0.375% in 30 women scheduled for major abdominal tumour surgery. Prior to induction of general anesthesia patients received an epidural bolus of 10 mL saline in Group I (GI) and 10 mL ropivacaine 0.375% in Group II (GII) followed by an infusion of 6 mL x hr(-1) of the respective solution during surgery. Postoperatively all patients received an epidural infusion of 6 mL x hr(-1) ropivacaine 0.375% during 24 hr followed by patient controlled epidural analgesia for the next 72 hr. Operative data, dynamic pain scores, consumption of local anesthetics and standardized supplemental analgesics were analyzed. No difference was seen between groups with respect to the amount of required postoperative local anesthetics and supplemental analgesics, pain scores and side effects during the first 96 hr following surgery except a reduction of intraoperative sufentanil consumption (GI: 143.2 +/- 52.6 vs GII: 73.3 +/- 32.6 microg, P < 0.001). Intraoperative TEA with ropivacaine 0.375% did not significantly reduce the amount of analgesics required after major abdominal gynecological tumour surgery.

Development and validation of a risk score for predicting postoperative delirium after major abdominal surgery by incorporating preoperative risk factors and surgical Apgar score

Systematic health monitoring with patient-reported outcome instruments may predict post-discharge complications after major surgery. The objective of this study was to conceptualize a novel patient-reported outcome instrument for detecting early adverse events within two weeks of discharge after major emergency abdominal surgery and colorectal cancer surgery. This study was conducted in two phases. (1) An exhaustive health concept pool was generated using systematic content analysis of existing patient-reported outcome measures (N = 31) and semi-structured interviews of readmitted patients (N = 49) and health professionals (N = 10). Concepts were categorized into three major domains: 'Symptoms,' 'functional status,' and 'general health perception.' We calculated the frequency of each health concept as the proportion of patients, who experienced the respective concept prior to readmission. (2) Colorectal cancer surgeons (N = 13) and emergency general surgeons (N = 12) rated the relevance of each health concept (1 = irrelevant, 5 = very relevant) in the context of detecting post-discharge adverse events. We selected concepts with either a high mean relevance score (≥ 4) or a combination of moderate mean relevance score and high patient-reported frequency (≥ 3 and ≥ 20% or ≥ 2.5 and ≥ 50%, respectively). Content analysis of existing items with additions from patients and experts resulted in 58 health concepts, of which the majority were distinct symptoms (N = 40). The selection procedure resulted in 29 patient-reported health concepts relevant for detecting adverse events after discharge. The outlined framework provides content validity for future patient-reported outcome instruments detecting adverse events in the early post-discharge period after major emergency abdominal surgery and colorectal cancer surgery.