Reduction In Postoperative Analgesic Requirements Research Articles

The analgesic efficacy of subcutaneous nalbuphine compared with epidural analgesia in abdominal surgeries: A randomized controlled trial

Background: Analgesia represents a cornerstone for the perioperative management of patients undergoing open abdominal surgery. Epidural analgesia (EPA) is a standard method for pain control in 50%-60% of major abdominal surgeries. Nalbuphine -a synthetic opioid agonist/ antagonist- has equianalgesic properties to morphine but without the undesirable side effects of the pure agonists. Objective: We compared the perioperative analgesic efficacy of subcutaneous nalbuphine and epidural analgesia in abdominal surgeries. Methods: 130 adult patients of both sexes with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status class I or II aged 20-60 years were randomized into two equal groups. After induction of general anesthesia, the epidural was activated with 18 ml of bupivacaine 0.25% + 2 ml fentanyl (100 Mcg) in group (I), while in a group (II) subcutaneous nalbuphine (0.15 mg/kg) was injected. The time for the first postoperative analgesic request was recorded as the primary endpoint. The cumulative analgesics consumption within the first 24 postoperative hours and drug-related side effects were the secondary outcomes. Results: The time for the first postoperative analgesia request was significantly longer in group II than in group I (10.8 ± 1.34 vs 3.29 ± 0.72 hours) (p < 0.05). There was a significant reduction in postoperative analgesic requirements in group II compared with group I. Group II patients had significantly more sedation levels than group I (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Under the conditions of this study, subcutaneous nalbuphine showed a superior analgesic profile than epidural analgesia for open abdominal surgeries.

Effect of Dexmedetomidine on Intraoperative Haemodynamics and Postoperative Analgesia in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Background and objectives:Dexmedetomidine is an α2 agonist with sympatholytic, anxiolytic, sedative and analgesic effect used as adjunct during surgeries for its haemodynamic stabilizing effect and analgesic effect. Primary aims of the study were to evaluate the haemodynamic effect of intravenous dexmedetomidine and the duration and quality of analgesia in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Secondary aims were sedation levels and occurrence of side effects.Materials and methods:Eighty four patients, American society of Anaesthesiologists physical status I and II, aged 18-60 years of either gender undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy in general anaesthesia were randomly allocated into two equal groups. Group C patient received Normal Saline and Group S patient received dexmedetomidine loading dose infusion of 1µg/kg over 10 minutes before induction and maintained with 0.4µg/kg/hr till the removal of gall bladder. Induction with propofol and fentanyl was done. Standard monitoring including Heart Rate, Mean arterial pressure, oxygen saturation were monitored perioperatively. Postoperative analgesia requirement and sedation score were assessed.Results: In Group S, the haemodynamic responses were significantly attenuated. During postoperative period, 24 hours analgesic requirement of diclofenac sodium was 141.43mg in group S as compared to 217.50mg in group C(p<0.001). Side effects were treatable. Sedation was better in Group S.Conclusion:Dexmedetomidine effectively attenuates haemodynamic stress response during laparoscopic surgery with reduction in postoperative analgesic requirements.

Role of preemptive tapentadol in reduction of postoperative analgesic requirements after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background and Aims:Poorly managed acute postoperative pain may result in prolonged morbidity. Various pharmacotherapies have targeted this, but research on an ideal preemptive analgesic continues, taking into account drug-related side effects. Considering the better tolerability profile of tapentadol, we assessed its role as a preemptive analgesic in the reduction of postoperative analgesic requirements, after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.Material and Methods:In a prospective-double-blinded fashion, sixty patients posted for above surgery, were randomized to receive tablet tapentadol 75 mg (Group A) or starch tablets (Group B) orally, an hour before induction of general anesthesia. Perioperative analgesic requirement, time to first analgesia, pain, and sedation score were compared for first 24 h during the postoperative period and analyzed by one-way analysis of variance test. A P < 0.05 was considered significant.Results:Sixty patients were analyzed. The perioperative analgesic requirement was significantly lower in Group A. Verbal numerical score was significantly lower in Group A at the time point, immediately after shifting the patient to the postanesthesia care unit. Ramsay sedation scores were similar between the groups. No major side effects were observed except for nausea and vomiting in 26 cases (10 in Group A, 16 in Group B).Conclusion:Single preemptive oral dose of tapentadol (75 mg) is effective in reducing perioperative analgesic requirements and acute postoperative pain, without added side effects. It could be an appropriate preemptive analgesic, subjected to future trials concentrating upon its dose-response effects.

Effects of low dose dexmedetomidine infusion on haemodynamic stress response, sedation and post-operative analgesia requirement in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background and Aim:Dexmedetomidine is a α2 agonist with sedative, sympatholytic and analgesic properties and hence, it can be a very useful adjuvant in anaesthesia as stress response buster, sedative and analgesic. We aimed primarily to evaluate the effects of low dose dexmedetomidine infusion on haemodynamic response to critical incidences such as laryngoscopy, endotracheal intubation, creation of pneumoperitoneum and extubation in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The secondary aims were to observe the effects on extubation time, sedation levels, post-operative analgesia requirements and occurrence of adverse effects.Methods:Sixty patients of American Society of Anaesthesiologists(ASA) physical grades I and II undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly allocated into three groups of 20 patients each. Group NS patients received normal saline, Group Dex 0.2 and Group Dex 0.4 patients received dexmedetomidine infusion at 0.2 mcg/kg/h and 0.4 mcg/kg/h respectively, starting 15 min before induction and continued till end of surgery. Parameters noted were pulse rate, mean arterial pressure, oxygen saturation, post-operative sedation and analgesia requirements. SPSS 15.0 version software was used for statistical analysis. ANOVA test for continuous variables, post-hoc test for intergroup comparison, and Chi-square test for discrete values were applied.Results:In Group NS significant haemodynamic stress response was seen following laryngoscopy, tracheal intubation, creation of pneumoperitoneum and extubation. In dexmedetomidine groups, the haemodynamic response was significantly attenuated. The results, however, were statistically better in Dex 0.4 group compared with Dex 0.2 group. Post-operative 24 hour analgesic requirements were much less in dexmedetomidine groups. No significant side effects were noted.Conclusion:Low dose dexmedetomidine infusion in the dose of 0.4 mcg/kg/h effectively attenuates haemodynamic stress response during laparoscopic surgery with reduction in post-operative analgesic requirements.

Effect of tramadol on fentanyl induced cough: A double-blind, randomized, controlled study

BackgroundTramadol has NMDA antagonist effect and reported to have antitussive effect. The aim of this study to assess the effect of preoperative i.v. tramadol compared to placebo on the incidence and severity of fentanyl induced cough.MethodIn a prospective, randomized, double-blind study, 100 patients ASA I, age 18–50 years old, scheduled for elective laparoscopic surgeries under general anesthesia. Patients were randomly allocated to one of two groups: Tramadol group received i.v. tramadol 1 mg/kg in 100 ml saline and control group received 100 ml saline over 15 min before induction of anesthesia. The incidence and severity of cough was assessed following injection of fentanyl 2 μg/kg. The postoperative analgesic requirements, nausea, and vomiting were also recorded.ResultsThe incidence of FIC was significantly less in tramadol treated group being [10 (20%)], compared to control group being [19 (38%)] (p < 0.05). Regarding the grade of FIC; 7 out of 10 in tramadol group and 12 out of 19 in control group showed mild form, 3 out of 10 in tramadol group and 4 out of 19 in control group showed moderate form and 3 out of 19 in control group with no patients in tramadol group showed severe form. The postoperative analgesic requirements was significantly less in tramadol group (p < 0.05) with no significant difference in postoperative nausea and vomiting between the two groups.ConclusionTramadol 1 mg/kg i.v. infusion 15 min before induction of anesthesia reduced the incidence and severity of cough after fentanyl injection 2 μg/kg with reduction of postoperative analgesic requirements and without changes in postoperative nausea and vomiting compared to placebo.

Perioperative transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks for analgesia after abdominal surgery

The transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is a peripheral nerve block which anaesthetises the abdominal wall. The increasing use of TAP block, as a form of pain relief after abdominal surgery warrants evaluation of its effectiveness as an adjunctive technique to routine care and, when compared with other analgesic techniques. To assess effects of TAP blocks (and variants) on postoperative analgesia requirements after abdominal surgery. We searched specialised registers of Cochrane Anaesthesia and Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care Review Groups, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL to June 2010. We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing TAP block or rectus sheath block with: no TAP or rectus sheath block; placebo; systemic, epidural or any other analgesia. At least two review authors assessed study eligibility and risk of bias, and extracted data. We included eight studies (358 participants), five assessing TAP blocks, three assessing rectus sheath blocks; with moderate risk of bias overall. All studies had a background of general anaesthesia in both arms in most cases.Compared with no TAP block or saline placebo, TAP block resulted in significantly less postoperative requirement for morphine at 24 hours (mean difference (MD) -21.95 mg, 95% confidence interval (CI) -37.91 to 5.96; five studies, 236 participants) and 48 hours (MD -28.50, 95% CI -38.92 to -18.08; one study of 50 participants) but not at two hours (all random-effects analyses). Pain at rest was significantly reduced in two studies, but not a third.Only one of three included studies of rectus sheath blocks found a reduction in postoperative analgesic requirements in participants receiving blocks. One study, assessing number of participants who were pain-free after their surgery, found more participants who received a rectus sheath block to be pain-free for up to 10 hours postoperatively. As with TAP blocks, rectus sheath blocks made no apparent impact on nausea and vomiting or sedation scores. No studies have compared TAP block with other analgesics such as epidural analgesia or local anaesthetic infiltration into the abdominal wound. There is only limited evidence to suggest use of perioperative TAP block reduces opioid consumption and pain scores after abdominal surgery when compared with no intervention or placebo. There is no apparent reduction in postoperative nausea and vomiting or sedation from the small numbers of studies to date. Many relevant studies are currently underway or awaiting publication.

Effect of combining dexmedetomidine and morphine for intravenous patient-controlled analgesia

BackgroundPerioperative use of dexmedetomidine is associated with reduction in postoperative analgesic requirements. This study examined whether dexmedetomidine added to i.v. patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine could improve analgesia while reducing opioid-related side-effects. MethodsIn this double-blinded, randomized, controlled study, 100 women undergoing abdominal total hysterectomy were allocated to receive either morphine 1 mg ml−1 alone (Group M) or morphine 1 mg ml−1 plus dexmedetomidine 5 μg ml−1 (Group D) for postoperative i.v. PCA, which was programmed to deliver 1 ml per demand with a 5 min lockout interval and no background infusion. Cumulative PCA requirements, pain intensities, cardiovascular and respiratory variables, and PCA-related adverse events were recorded for 24 h after operation. ResultsCompared with Group M, patients in Group D required 29% less morphine during the 0–24 h postoperative period and reported significantly lower pain levels from the second postoperative hour onwards and throughout the study. Whereas levels of sedation were similar between the groups at each observational time point, decreases in heart rate and mean blood pressure from presurgery baseline at 1, 2, and 4 h after operation were significantly greater in Group D (by a range of 5–7 beats min−1 and 10–13%, respectively). The 4–24 h incidence of nausea was significantly lower in Group D (34% vs 56.3%, P<0.05). There was no bradycardia, hypotension, oversedation, or respiratory depression. ConclusionsThe addition of dexmedetomidine to i.v. PCA morphine resulted in superior analgesia, significant morphine sparing, less morphine-induced nausea, and was devoid of additional sedation and untoward haemodynamic changes.

Intraoperative and postoperative analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of intrathecal opioids in patients undergoing cesarean section with spinal anesthesia: a qualitative and quantitative systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

SPINAL anesthesia is commonly used for cesarean section, and it has become a popular practice to add opioids to spinal solutions to enhance and prolong intraoperative and postoperative analgesia. Morphine and fentanyl are the opioids most often used for this purpose, but there is not a general consensus about the benefits of the various regimens, and the incidence of side effects with different opioids and doses is controversial. Recently, a number of systematic reviews have been published in the field of pain and perioperative medicine. The aim of a systematic review is to summarize available information from controlled clinical trials to produce evidence-based estimates of the true clinical effect of an intervention. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of intrathecal opioids added to spinal anesthesia on intraoperative and postoperative pain and to evaluate adverse effects in patients scheduled for cesarean section, using evidence from all relevant randomized controlled and blinded trials.

Postoperative Analgesia After Co-administration of Clonidine and Morphine by the Intrathecal Route in Patients Undergoing Hip Replacement

Postoperative analgesia after intrathecal co-administration of clonidine hydrochloride (75 micro gram) and morphine sulfate (0.5 mg) was compared with analgesia produced after either intrathecal morphine (0.5 mg) or 0.9% sodium chloride in 90 patients undergoing total hip replacement under bupivacaine spinal anesthesia. Patient-controlled morphine requirements were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) postoperation by both clonidine/morphine (median 5 mg/24 h) and morphine (median 7 mg/24 h) compared with control (saline) (median 28 mg/24 h). However, no significant additional reduction in postoperative analgesic requirements was shown with the clonidine/morphine combination compared with morphine alone. Visual analog pain scores, although good in all groups at all times, were significantly poorer in the control group at 2 h (P < 0.04) and 4 h (P < 0.001) after operation compared with both treatment groups, and significantly poorer than the clonidine/morphine group at 6 h (P < 0.002) and 24 h (P < 0.009) postoperation. Mean arterial blood pressure was significantly lower in the clonidine/morphine group than in the two other groups (P < 0.001) between 2 and 5 h after operation. The incidence of emesis was similar in the clonidine/morphine and morphine groups and was significantly more than in the control group. (Anesth Analg 1995;80:86-91)

Postoperative Analgesia After Co-administration of Clonidine and Morphine by the Intrathecal Route in Patients Undergoing Hip Replacement

Postoperative analgesia after intrathecal co-administration of clonidine hydrochloride (75 micrograms) and morphine sulfate (0.5 mg) was compared with analgesia produced after either intrathecal morphine (0.5 mg) or 0.9% sodium chloride in 90 patients undergoing total hip replacement under bupivacaine spinal anesthesia. Patient-controlled morphine requirements were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) postoperation by both clonidine/morphine (median 5 mg/24 h) and morphine (median 7 mg/24 h) compared with control (saline) (median 28 mg/24 h). However, no significant additional reduction in postoperative analgesic requirements was shown with the clonidine/morphine combination compared with morphine alone. Visual analog pain scores, although good in all groups at all times, were significantly poorer in the control group at 2 h (P < 0.04) and 4 h (P < 0.001) after operation compared with both treatment groups, and significantly poorer than the clonidine/morphine group at 6 h (P < 0.002) and 24 h (P < 0.009) postoperation. Mean arterial blood pressure was significantly lower in the clonidine/morphine group than in the two other groups (P < 0.001) between 2 and 5 h after operation. The incidence of emesis was similar in the clonidine/morphine and morphine groups and was significantly more than in the control group.

DICLOFENAC FOR DAY-CARE ARTHROSCOPY SURGERY: COMPARISON WITH A STANDARD OPIOID THERAPY

Sixty unpremedicated patients presenting for day-care arthroscopy surgery were allocated randomly to receive diclofenac 1 mg kg-1 i.m., fentanyl 1 microgram kg-1 i.v. or no analgesic during the course of anaesthesia. Patients receiving fentanyl had slightly, although not significantly prolonged recovery times. Patients receiving diclofenac had significantly improved postoperative visual analogue pain scores compared with patients receiving placebo medication (P less than 0.05). With fentanyl, pain scores were reduced also, but the effect was not statistically significant. Both fentanyl and diclofenac produced significant reduction in postoperative analgesic requirements (P less than 0.05). We conclude that diclofenac 1 mg kg-1 i.m. was an effective analgesic for arthroscopic procedures on the knee and is a useful alternative to opioids for day-care patients.