Small Doses Of Opioids Research Articles

An assessment of the effectiveness of regional analgesia after VATS measured by an objective method for assessing testosterone, cortisol, α-amylase, sIgA, and β-endorphin levels - a randomised controlled trial.

Thoracic surgeries are associated with intense postoperative pain. General opioid analgesia is still the main anaesthetic method. Due to the large number of opioid-induced side effects, alternative methods of pain relief are sought. One of them is the use of balanced analgesia, which consists of regional analgesia, non-opioid painkillers, and small doses of opioids. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of preoperative thoracic paravertebral block (ThPVB) in the treatment of postoperative pain after video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) by measuring hormone levels in blood serum or saliva. It was a randomised, open-label study conducted in a single university hospital setting between May 2018 and September 2019. In total, 119 patients were scheduled for elective video-assisted thoracic surgery. Performed interventions included: preoperative thoracic paravertebral block with 0.5% bupivacaine, followed by postoperative oxycodone combined with nonopioid analgesics. Follow-up period comprised first 24 hours and one, two, and six months after surgery. Main outcomes were measured by pain intensity assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and the levels of the following hormones: testosterone, cortisol, α-amylase activity, sIgA, and β-endorphin. A total of 119 patients were randomised into two groups and, of these, 49 were subsequently excluded from the analysis. The final analysis included 37 patients from the study group and 33 from the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in the analysed parameters the relative change T1-T0. There was a tendency towards statistical significance in the relative change T2-T0 in testosterone levels. At rest, no statistically significant differences were found between groups and time in the percentage of patients with NRS ≥ 1. During cough, the percentage of patients with NRS ≥ 1 was higher at T1 and T2 time points in the ThPVB group. Of the factors considered, only α-amylase levels statistically significantly increased the chance for higher NRS score after a month [OR = 1.013; 95% PU: 1.001-1.025; p < 0.01]. ThPVB is effective and safe for patients undergoing VATS. It can be an effective alternative for general anaesthesia using high doses of opioids.

Painless delivery: Yes or no?

Contemporary obstetrics aims to achieve painless delivery, whereby the life of the mother or fetus would not be compromised. Epidural analgesia is nowadays considered to be the method of choice for the labor pain relief. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the basic principles and techniques of performing epidural analgesia, its specificities for women in labor, its effects on the mother and fetus, as well as the dilemmas that accompany this method. The specificities of epidural anesthesia in pregnant women, such as soft tissue edema, increased weight, changes in texture ligaments, lumbar lordosis and engorgement of epidural veins, make it more difficult to perform the epidural block in pregnancy. The most important misconception is the influence of epidural analgesia on operative or instrumental delivery rate. Low concentrations of local anesthetic in combination with small doses of opioids, together with active management of labor by an obstetrician, would lead to increased spontaneous delivery rate. Epidural analgesia is currently the most effective and the safest method of anesthesia delivery.

Pain: Not a Normal Part of Aging

Pain: Not a Normal Part of Aging

9. Painful Shoulder Complaints

Painful shoulder complaints have a high incidence and prevalence. The etiology is not always clear. Clinical history and the active and passive motion examination of the shoulder are the cornerstones of the diagnostic process. Three shoulder tests are important for the examination of shoulder complaints: shoulder abduction, shoulder external rotation, and horizontal shoulder adduction. These tests can guide the examiner to the correct diagnosis. Based on this diagnosis, in most cases, primarily a conservative treatment with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs possibly in combination with manual and/or exercise therapy can be started. When conservative treatment fails, injection with local anesthetics and corticosteroids can be considered. In the case of frozen shoulder, a continuous cervical epidural infusion of local anesthetic and small doses of opioids or a pulsed radiofrequency treatment of the nervus suprascapularis can be considered.

Choice of the hypnotic and the opioid for rapid-sequence induction

The choice of hypnotics and opioids for rapid-sequence induction, and the use of premedication, is influenced by the choice of the muscle relaxant. Anaesthetic agents have a major influence on the quality of intubation when rapid-sequence induction is achieved without a muscle relaxant. Premedication is important, along with a high dose of propofol (2.5 mg kg-1 or more) and a short-acting opioid such as alfentanil (30-40 micrograms kg-1) or remifentanil (up to 4 micrograms kg-1). It has also been demonstrated that i.v. lidocaine can improve intubating conditions. When a muscle relaxant is used, the choice of the anaesthetic agents depends on the onset of action of the relaxant. With a rapid-acting compound such as rocuronium at a dose of 0.6 mg kg-1, the hypnotic agents need to be supplemented with only a small dose of opioids, e.g. alfentanil 10-20 micrograms kg-1. When succinylcholine, rocuronium 1.0 mg kg-1 or rapacuronium 1.5 mg kg-1 are used, excellent intubating conditions may be obtained by relatively smaller doses of hypnotic agents even without opioids; however, haemodynamic and intraocular pressure changes are better controlled when small doses of opioids are administered.

Parturients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Regional Anesthesia

Background It is estimated that 1.5 million Americans are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), and the consequences of HIV infection are a leading cause of death in women aged 15–44 yr. Thus, HIV-1 disease, or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, occurs with increasing frequency in the parturient, and there is little information concerning the risks of regional anesthesia. Fear of spreading infection to the central nervous system or adverse neurologic sequelae have led some clinicians to advise against regional anesthesia. Thus, this study was undertaken to evaluate the possible problems or risks associated with regional anesthesia in parturients infected with HIV-1 and to determine whether anesthesia affected the clinical course of the disease. Methods The clinical course and immunologic function of 30 parturients infected with HIV-1 were evaluated prospectively. Extensive medical and laboratory evaluation before delivery and 4–6 months postpartum was undertaken. Medical problems related to HIV-1 disease and use of antiviral drugs also were monitored. The anesthetic management was dictated by the clinical situation and the patient's wishes with careful postpartum follow-up to evaluate possible neurologic changes or infection. Results Regional anesthesia was administered in 18 parturients, and 12 received small doses of opioids or no analgesia. There were no changes in the immunologic parameters studied (CD4 sup + p24, beta sub 2 microglobulins), and HIV-1 disease remained stable in the peripartum period. There were no infections, complications, or neurologic changes in the peripartum period. Sixty-eight percent of the infants were HIV-l-negative and, in 21% of infants, the HIV-1 status was indeterminate (probably negative). Conclusions This prospective study of parturients infected with HIV-1 demonstrated that regional anesthesia can be performed without adverse sequelae. There were no neurologic or infectious complications related to the obstetric or anesthetic course. The immune function of the parturient was stable in the peripartum period. Although the number of patients studied was small, with careful medical evaluation, regional anesthesia is an acceptable choice in the parturient infected with HIV-1.