Use Of Intravenous Acetaminophen Research Articles

Using Clinical Decision Support Systems to Decrease Intravenous Acetaminophen Use: Implementation and Lessons Learned.

Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) can enhance medical decision-making by providing targeted information to providers. While they have the potential to improve quality of care and reduce costs, they are not universally effective and can lead to unintended harm. To describe the implementation of an unsuccessful interruptive CDSS that aimed to promote appropriate use of intravenous (IV) acetaminophen at an academic pediatric hospital, with an emphasis on lessons learned. Quality improvement methodology was used to study the effect of an interruptive CDSS, which set a mandatory expiry time of 24 hours for all IV acetaminophen orders. This CDSS was implemented on April 5, 2021. The primary outcome measure was number of IV acetaminophen administrations per 1,000 patient days, measured pre- and postimplementation. Process measures were the number of IV acetaminophen orders placed per 1,000 patient days. Balancing measures were collected via survey data and included provider and nursing acceptability and unintended consequences of the CDSS. There was no special cause variation in hospital-wide IV acetaminophen administrations and orders after CDSS implementation, nor when the CDSS was removed. A total of 88 participants completed the survey. Nearly half (40/88) of respondents reported negative issues with the CDSS, with the majority stating that this affected patient care (39/40). Respondents cited delays in patient care and reduced efficiency as the most common negative effects. This study underscores the significance of monitoring CDSS implementations and including end user acceptability as an outcome measure. Teams should be prepared to modify or remove CDSS that do not achieve their intended goal or are associated with low end user acceptability. CDSS holds promise for improving clinical practice, but careful implementation and ongoing evaluation are crucial for maximizing their benefits and minimizing potential harm.

Comparing Postoperative Pain With Laparoscopic Versus Robotic Sacrocolpopexy

Study ObjectiveTo compare postoperative pain and pain-related outcomes following laparoscopic (LS-MISC) versus robotic minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy (R-MISC). DesignA secondary analysis of an original placebo-controlled randomized-controlled trial (RCT) examining preoperative IV acetaminophen on postoperative pain following MISC. SettingPlanned secondary analysis of multicenter RCT. Patients or ParticipantsWomen undergoing MISC. InterventionsCo-primary outcomes at 24 hours were total opioid use in morphine mg equivalents (MME) and visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores comparing LS-MISC and R-MISC. The secondary outcome was pain scores using a pain diary through seven days post-procedure. Measurements and Main ResultsThe original study was a double blind, multi-center, RCT comparing intravenous acetaminophen to placebo that took place between 2014 and 2017. Given that the original trial was unable to show an impact from the use of intravenous acetaminophen, our analysis focused on the impact of surgical modality. We included 90 subjects undergoing MISC: 65 LS-MISC and 25 R-MISC. Most were Caucasian (97.8%) and postmenopausal (88.9%) with mean age 61.2±7.2 years and BMI 27.6±4.4 kg/m2. IV acetaminophen did not impact pain in the original study and was not different between LS-MISC and R-MISC. Concomitant hysterectomy was performed in 67% (LS-MISC) vs. 60% (R-MISC, p=0.49). LS-MISC underwent more perineorrhaphies (15.4% vs 0%, p=0.04) and posterior repairs (18.5% vs 0%, p=0.02). Operative time was longer with LS-MISC (208.5±57.3 vs 143.6±21.0 minutes, p=<0.01). Length of stay was longer with LS-MISC (0.9±0.4 vs 0.7±0.4 days, p=0.02). Women undergoing LS-MISC consumed more opioid MMEs through 24 hours when including intraoperative opioid's (48.5±25.5 vs 35.1±14.6 MME, p=<0.01). Using linear regression correcting for operative time and concomitant vaginal repairs, this difference disappeared. Likewise, when intraoperative opioids were excluded, there was no difference. There were no differences in 24-hour post-operative VAS scores, opioid use in first week, or quality of life (PROMIS PI-SF, all p<0.05). ConclusionWhen comparing VAS pain scores, MME opioid usage, and quality of life between LS-MISC and R-MISC, there was either no difference or differences disappeared after adjusting for confounders. Overall, opioid use, pain scores, and opioid side effects were low.

The efficacy of preoperative intravenous acetaminophen for laparoscopic extraperitoneal closure in children with inguinal hernia for The enhanced recovery after surgery: A prospective randomized study

PurposeA postoperative pain management strategy for the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol has recently become more important in pediatric surgery and growing attention is being paid to perioperative use of intravenous acetaminophen (IV-A). In laparoscopic extraperitoneal closure (LPEC) procedure, postoperative pain is still occurring and optimal analgesia remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative IV-A (pIV-A) for postoperative analgesia after LPEC in children. MethodsAfter approval of the ethics committee of our hospital (#2,018,131), 40 consecutive pediatric patients with unilateral inguinal hernia were randomized into two group (20 each) and received LPEC procedure with pIV-A (group-A) and without (group-C). The pain scale score (PSS), the frequency of the postoperative acetaminophen bolus use (FPAB) and school start day (SSD) were assessed. ResultsThe PSS and the FPAB are significantly lower in group-A compared to group-C on POD0 and POD1, indicating a significant reduction in pain in group-A at an early stage after the operation. In addition, SSD after LPEC operation was shorter in group-A compared to group-C. ConclusionOur results suggest that pIV-A for postoperative analgesia after LPEC in children is safe and useful for the ERAS.

A Comparison of The Effects of Pre-Emptive and Intraoperative Intravenous Acetaminophen Administration on Pain Management After Circumcision

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of the pre-emptive and intraoperative use of intravenous acetaminophen in post-circumcision pain in children.&#x0D; Methods: The records of patients who had undergone circumcision were retrospectively evaluated using our database in the Samsun University, Samsun Training and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Turkey, from May 2021 to May 2022. Patients were divided into two groups based on administration of pre-emptive (Group 1) and intraoperative (Group 2) acetaminophen. Baseline characteristics, vital signs, outcomes, and Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, and Consolability (FLACC) scale scores were then compared between the groups.&#x0D; Results: Two hundred four patients, 95 (46.6%) in Group 1 and 109 (53.4%) in Group 2, were enrolled in the study. No significant difference was determined in terms of mean body mass index, age, length of stay in the recovery room, operative time, or length of hospital stay. Vital findings exhibited no difference in preoperative, induction, intraoperative, or postoperative recordings. Significant differences were observed between the groups’ mean pain scores 30 minutes after surgery (p = 0.024). However, no such significant differences were observed at one and three hours after surgery (p = 0.063 and p = 0.708, respectively). Rescue analgesia was performed in 13 (13.7%) cases in Group 1 and 17 (15.6%) in Group 2 (p = 0.7).&#x0D; Conclusions: Pre-emptive intravenous acetaminophen reduced pain 30 minutes after circumcision. Pre-emptive and intraoperative use of acetaminophen resulted in similar and acceptable efficacy in pain relief one and three hours after surgery.

National Intravenous Acetaminophen Use in Pediatric Inpatients From 2011–2016

OBJECTIVE To 1) determine current intravenous (IV) acetaminophen use in pediatric inpatients; and 2) determine the association between opioid medication duration when used with or without IV acetaminophen. METHODS A retrospective analysis of pediatric inpatients exposed to IV acetaminophen from January 2011 to June 2016, using the national database Health Facts. RESULTS Eighteen thousand one hundred ninety-seven (2.0%) of 893,293 pediatric inpatients received IV acetaminophen for a median of 14 doses per patient (IQR, 8–56). A greater proportion of IV acetaminophen patients were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (14.8% vs 5.1%, p &amp;lt; 0.0001), received positive pressure ventilation (2.0% vs 1.5%, p &amp;lt; 0.0001), had a higher hospital mortality rate (0.9% vs 0.3%, p &amp;lt; 0.0001), and were operative (35.5% vs 12.8%, p &amp;lt; 0.001) than those not receiving IV acetaminophen. The most common operations associated with IV acetaminophen use were musculoskeletal and digestive system operations. Prescription of IV acetaminophen increased over time, both in prescription rates and number of per patient doses. Of the 18,197 patients prescribed IV acetaminophen, 16,241 (89.2%) also were prescribed opioids during their hospitalization. A multivariate analysis revealed patients prescribed both IV acetaminophen and opioids had a 54.8% increase in opioid duration as compared with patients who received opioids alone. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to assess IV acetaminophen prescription practices for pediatric inpatients. Intravenous acetaminophen prescription was greater in the non-operative pediatric inpatient population than operative patients. Intravenous acetaminophen prescription was associated with an increase in opioid duration as compared with patients who received opioids alone, suggesting that it is commonly used to supplement opioids for pain relief.

Effect of Intravenous Acetaminophen on Mean Arterial Blood Pressure: A Post Hoc Analysis of the EFfect of Intravenous ACetaminophen on PosToperative HypOxemia After Abdominal SurgeRy Trial.

Acetaminophen is commonly used as part of multimodal analgesia for acute pain. The intravenous formulation offers a more predictable bioavailability compared to oral and rectal acetaminophen. There have been reports of hypotension with intravenous acetaminophen attributable to centrally mediated and vasodilatory effects. We tested the hypothesis that in adults having abdominal surgery the use of intravenous acetaminophen versus placebo for postoperative pain management is associated with a decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) after its administration. This is a substudy of eFfect of intravenous ACetaminophen on posToperative hypOxemia after abdominal surgeRy (FACTOR) trial (NCT02156154). FACTOR trial randomly assigned adults undergoing abdominal surgery to either 1 g of acetaminophen or placebo every 6 hours during the first postoperative 48 hours. Continuous monitoring of blood pressure was obtained by noninvasive ViSi Mobile device (Sotera Wireless, Inc, San Diego, CA) at 15-second intervals during initial 48 hours postoperatively. We excluded patients without continuous monitoring data available. The primary outcome was the MAP difference between MAP 5 minutes before study drug administration (baseline) and MAP 30 minutes poststudy drug administration initiation. We used a linear mixed effects model to assess the treatment effect on MAP change. The secondary outcome was MAP area under baseline (AUB) during the 30 minutes after treatment. In a sensitivity analysis of change in MAP from predrug to postdrug administration, we instead used postdrug MAP as the outcome adjusting for the baseline MAP in the model. Among 358 patients analyzed, 182 received acetaminophen and 176 placebo. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) of average MAP change was -0.75 (5.9) mm Hg for the treatment and 0.32 (6.3) mm Hg for the placebo. Acetaminophen was found to decrease the MAP from baseline more than placebo after drug administration. The estimated difference in mean change of MAP was -1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.60 to -0.47) mm Hg; P < .001. The sensitivity analysis showed postoperative MAP in the acetaminophen group was 1.33 (95% CI, 0.76-1.90) mm Hg lower than in the placebo group (P < .001). The median of MAP AUB was 33 [Q1 = 3.3, Q3 = 109] mm Hg × minutes for the treatment and 23 [1.6, 79] mm Hg × minutes for the placebo. Acetaminophen was found to increase the AUB with an estimated median difference of 15 (95% CI, 5-25) mm Hg × minutes (P = .003). Intravenous acetaminophen decreases MAP after its administration. However, this decrease does not appear to be clinically meaningful. Clinicians should not refrain to use intravenous acetaminophen for acute pain management because of worries of hypotension.

An Update on Multimodal Pain Management After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Multimodal analgesia has become the standard of care for total joint arthroplasty as it provides superior analgesia with fewer side effects than opioid-only protocols. Systemic medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, corticosteroids, and gabapentinoids, and local anesthetics via local infiltration analgesia and peripheral nerve blocks, are the foundation of multimodal analgesia in total joint arthroplasty. Ideally, multimodal analgesia should begin preoperatively and continue throughout the perioperative period and beyond discharge. There is insufficient evidence to support the routine use of intravenous acetaminophen or liposomal bupivacaine as part of multimodal analgesia protocols.

Variation in Intravenous Acetaminophen Use in Pediatric Hospitals: Priorities for Standardization.

The primary objective was to evaluate hospital variation in intravenous (IV) acetaminophen use across pediatric patient populations. The secondary objective was to identify populations with high use of IV acetaminophen and wide variation in practice to identify priority areas for cost reduction and practice standardization. We performed a retrospective study of children ≤18 years old hospitalized in 2019 in 48 US pediatric hospitals in the Pediatric Health Information System. Primary measures included IV acetaminophen use (percentage of encounters) and total days of therapy (DOT). A multivariable analysis identified clinical and demographic factors associated with IV acetaminophen use. High-priority groups for practice standardization were the All Patient Refined Diagnosis Related Groups in the top quartile of DOT, with wide variation of use across hospitals (interquartile range >50%). Among 866 346 encounters, 14.4% received 1 dose of IV acetaminophen with 287 935 DOT, costing $29.8 million. In multivariable analysis age, payer, surgical procedure, ICU admission, total parenteral nutrition, and case mix index remained significantly associated with IV acetaminophen use. After multivariable adjustment, variation in hospital use ranged from <0.1% to 31% of all encounters. Twenty diagnosis groups accounted for 47% of total DOT (135 910 days) and 48% of cost ($14.2 million). Appendectomy, tonsil and adenoidectomy, and craniotomy were identified as top candidates for standardization efforts. We observed large variation in IV acetaminophen use across pediatric hospitals and within diagnosis groups. These diagnoses represent candidates for practice standardization.

The impact of intravenous acetaminophen pricing on opioid utilization and outcomes for children with appendicitis

BackgroundIn 2014, the price of intravenous acetaminophen more than doubled. This study determined whether increased intravenous acetaminophen cost was associated with decreased utilization and increased opioid use for children undergoing appendectomy. MethodsA multicenter retrospective cohort study using the Pediatric Health Information System database between 2011 and 2017 was performed. Healthy children 2 to 18 years undergoing appendectomy at 46 children’s hospitals in the United States were identified. Intravenous acetaminophen use, opioid use, and pharmacy costs were assessed. Multivariable mixed-effects modeling was used to determine the association between postoperative opioid use, intravenous acetaminophen use, and postoperative length-of-stay. ResultsOverall, 110,019 children undergoing appendectomy were identified, with 22.5% (N = 24,777) receiving intravenous acetaminophen. Despite the 2014 price increase, intravenous acetaminophen use increased from 3% in 2011 to 40.1% in 2017 (P < .001), but at a significantly reduced rate. After 2014, adjusted median pharmacy charges decreased from $3,326.5 (interquartile range: $1,717.5–$6,710.8) to $3,264.1 (interquartile range: $1,782.8–$5,934.7, P < .001) for children who received intravenous acetaminophen. In 94,745 children staying ≥1 day after surgery, postoperative opioid use decreased from 73.6% in 2011 to 58.6% in 2017 (P < .001). Use of intravenous acetaminophen alone compared to opioids alone after surgery resulted in similar predicted mean postoperative length-of-stay. ConclusionIn children undergoing appendectomy, intravenous acetaminophen use continued to rise, but at a slower rate after a price increase. Furthermore, adjusted pharmacy charges were lower for children receiving intravenous acetaminophen, possibly secondary to a concurrent decrease in postoperative opioid use. These findings suggest intravenous acetaminophen may be more broadly used regardless of perceived costs to minimize opioid use after surgery.

Newly approved IV acetaminophen in Canada: Switching from oral to IV acetaminophen. Is IV worth the price difference? A systematic review.

The use of intravenous acetaminophen leads to meaningful health cost increases for paediatric institutions. Therefore, strict criteria for intravenous acetaminophen administration are needed. To undertake a systematic review of available evidence comparing oral versus intravenous acetaminophen use in children. A systematic literature search was conducted on five databases. All prospective interventional studies comparing intravenous to oral acetaminophen in patients <18 years old were included. Data collection and analysis were done according to PRISMA guidelines. Among 6,417 retrieved abstracts, 29 full-text articles were assessed of which 3 were retained. (1) Pharmacokinetic: Oral bioavailability (72% with a high inter-individual variability) was reported in 47 stable patients in a paediatric intensive care unit. (2) Analgesia: In a double-blind randomized controlled trial of 45 children, no difference in analgesia was found between oral and intravenous administration after cleft palate repair. (3) Fever: In an open-label prospective observational study of 200 children, temperature decreased faster after intravenous than oral administration but was similar 4 hours later. Available data are insufficient to guide clinicians with a rational choice of route of administration. Oral bioavailability should be studied in paediatric populations outside the intensive care unit. Despite the widespread use of intravenous acetaminophen, there is little evidence to suggest that it improves analgesia compared to the oral formulation. Similarly, fever weans faster but whether this translates into any meaningful clinical outcome is unknown. The lack of data plus the significantly higher costs of intravenous acetaminophen should motivate further research.

COMPARISON OF POST OPERATIVE PAIN WITH EFFICACY OF INTRAVENOUS ACETAMINOPHEN VERSUS KETAMINE AMONG PATIENTS UNDERGOING ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY

Objective; To determine the effectiveness in terms of postoperative pain with intravenous acetaminophen versus ketamine among women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. Material and Methods; A total of 114 women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy were taken in this study. The study was conducted at Akhtar Saeed Trust Hospital, Lahore and Nishtar Hospital Multan. Data was analyzed with statistical analysis program (SPSS version 21). Analysis was done to compare proportion of acetaminophen group and ketamine group. Chi-square test was applied to compare both groups in terms of efficacy taken p ≤0.05 as significant. Results; Our study comprised of 114 ladies undergoing abdominal hysterectomy, mean age of the study cases was 54.13 ± 6.89 years (with minimum age of the patients was 39 years while maximum age was 68 years). Majority of our study cases i.e. 92 (80.7 %) had parity more than 3 and American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score level 1 in 93 (81.6%). Sixty one (53.1%) belonged to rural areas, while mean duration of surgery was 72.80 ± 11.32 minutes. Mean BMI level in our study cases was noted to be 23.98 ±4.17 Kg/m 2 and obesity was present in 34 (29.8%) of our study cases. Efficacy was noted in 60 (52.6 %) of our study cases. Efficacy was 73.7% study cases in group A while 18 (31.6%) in group B (p=0.000). Conclusion; Our study results support the use of intravenous acetaminophen (IVA) for pain management in patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy compared with ketamine. Intravenous acetaminophen is safe, reliable and effective for the pain management in postoperative abdominal hysterectomy patients which was associated with shorter hospital stay and cost effective for the suffering families. No adverse reactions were noted in this study with the use of intravenous acetaminophen. Keywords; Intravenous acetaminophen, Ketamine, Abdominal Hysterectomy. DOI: 10.7176/JMPB/67-04 Publication date: August 31 st 2020

Effect of Intravenous Acetaminophen on Postoperative Hypoxemia After Abdominal Surgery

Opioid-induced ventilatory depression and hypoxemia is common, severe, and often unrecognized in postoperative patients. To the extent that nonopioid analgesics reduce opioid consumption, they may decrease postoperative hypoxemia. To test the hypothesis that duration of hypoxemia is less in patients given intravenous acetaminophen than those given placebo. Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial conducted at 2 US academic hospitals among 570 patients who were undergoing abdominal surgery, enrolled from February 2015 through October 2018 and followed up until February 2019. Participants were randomized to receive either intravenous acetaminophen, 1 g (n = 289), or normal saline placebo (n = 291) starting at the beginning of surgery and repeated every 6 hours until 48 postoperative hours or hospital discharge, whichever occurred first. The primary outcome was the total duration of hypoxemia (hemoglobin oxygen saturation [Spo2] <90%) per hour, with oxygen saturation measured continuously for 48 postoperative hours. Secondary outcomes were postoperative opioid consumption, pain (0- 10-point scale; 0: no pain; 10: the most pain imaginable), nausea and vomiting, sedation, minimal alveolar concentration of volatile anesthetic, fatigue, active time, and respiratory function. Among 580 patients randomized (mean age, 49 years; 48% women), 570 (98%) completed the trial. The primary outcome, median duration with Spo2 of less than 90%, was 0.7 (interquartile range [IQR], 0.1-5.1) minutes per hour among patients in the acetaminophen group and 1.1 (IQR, 0.1-6.6) minutes per hour among patients in the placebo group (P = .29), with an estimated median difference of -0.04 (95% CI,-0.18 to 0.11) minutes per hour. None of the 8 secondary end points differed significantly between the acetaminophen and placebo groups. Mean pain scores within initial 48 postoperative hours were 4.2 (SD, 1.8) in the acetaminophen group and 4.4 (SD, 1.8) in the placebo group (difference, -0.28; 95% CI, -0.71 to 0.15); median opioid use in morphine equivalents was 50 mg (IQR, 18-122 mg) and 58 mg (IQR, 24-151 mg) , respectively, with a ratio of geometric means of 0.86 (95% CI, 0.61-1.21). Among patients who underwent abdominal surgery, use of postoperative intravenous acetaminophen, compared with placebo, did not significantly reduce the duration of postoperative hypoxemia over 48 hours. The study findings do not support the use of intravenous acetaminophen for this purpose. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02156154.

Efficacy of Intravenous Acetaminophen as Adjunct Post-Operative Analgesic in Cardiac Surgery: A Retrospective Study

The dose-dependent adverse events associated with post-operative opioid use may be reduced when opioids are used in conjunction with intravenous acetaminophen. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes in median sternotomy patients receiving intravenous acetaminophen in addition to intravenous opioids versus intravenous opioids only. A retrospective study was conducted on 122 adult patients undergoing median sternotomy at a regional tertiary-referral center. Data collected included patient demographics, length of stay, opioid and intravenous acetaminophen use, adverse effects, and transition time to oral pain medication. There was no difference between groups in demographics, preoperative risk scores, operative procedures, intravenous opioid consumption, transition time to oral pain medications, or length of stay. Acetaminophen use was associated with lower rates of atrial fibrillation (7.0% vs. 24.6%, p = 0.009) and nausea/vomiting (8.9% vs. 32.3%, p = 0.002), but higher rates of urinary retention (15.8% vs. 3.1%, p = 0.014), constipation (50.0% vs. 20.0%, p = 0.001) and respiratory depression (7.1% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.043). Intravenous acetaminophen was not associated with a reduction in length of stay or opioid consumption, but was associated with lower rates of atrial fibrillation, nausea, and vomiting. Additional studies are needed to determine if intravenous acetaminophen administration reduces atrial fibrillation in this population.

Oral vs intravenous acetaminophen as a constituent of multimodal analgesia after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A randomized, blinded trial

Background &amp; Aim: This trial aimed to compare the pain relief and side effects of Oral Acetaminophen (OA) and Intravenous Acetaminophen (IVA) after CABG surgery.&#x0D; Methods &amp; Materials: This parallel-group, triple-blinded, randomized trial was conducted on 113 CABG patients from September 2017 through February 2018. The samples were selected through blocked randomization and allocated into two groups using computer-generated. The participants administered 1gr oral (OA group, n=57) or intravenous Acetaminophen (IVA group, n=56) every 6h for the first 24h following surgery; also, pain controlled in both group with Morphine multimodal analgesia strategy. Pain intensity measurement by VAS was followed after extubating the endotracheal tube at the 0, 1, 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours during the rest and deep breathing. The Morphine consumption and the incidence of nausea and vomiting in the first 24h were assessed. Data were analyzed using SPSS software and Chi-square, t-test, mixed ANOVA and ANCOVA test.&#x0D; Results: The pain score in the IVA group was found to be statistically significantly lower than the OA group at rest (P&lt;0.001) and during deep breathing (P&lt;0.001) in the first 24h. There was no statistically significant difference between groups regarding the cumulative Morphine consumption (P=0.056). The use of IVA was associated with a reduction in frequencies of nausea and vomiting incidents (P=0.029).&#x0D; Conclusion: Administration of IVA for the management of postoperative pain in CABG patients significantly reduced pain score and incidence of nausea and vomiting compared to OA. Any reduction in cumulative Morphine consumption did not accompany the lower pain.

The Effect of Intravenous Acetaminophen on Patient Outcomes within a Large Integrated Delivery Network.

To evaluate the impact of intravenous acetaminophen on patient outcomes. In this retrospective observational analysis, 54,742 patients were identified from 19 Catholic Health Initiatives hospitals during a 12-month period. Charges were used to identify patients who received intravenous acetaminophen during their encounter. The control group included patients who did not receive intravenous acetaminophen. Five outcomes were measured: total length of stay, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, total narcotic use (in morphine milligram equivalents [MME]), likelihood of receiving a narcotic prescription at discharge, and 30-day readmission rate. Patients undergoing five procedures were evaluated: total knee replacements, total hip replacements, cesarean section, coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), and gallbladder resection. These patients were also evaluated in a combined group. After matching, population imbalances for patient characteristics were addressed. Combined with the five outcomes, 25 populations had a sufficient number of matched pairs for analysis. Six of the 25 tests showed a significant difference favoring the control group. Total length of stay was shorter for the control group in the combined population (-0.18days [4hours], 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.26 to -0.11). Total narcotic use was lower for the control group in the caesarean section (-10 MME, 95% CI -16 to -5), CABG (-26 MME, 95% CI -41 to -12), and combined (-13 MME, 95% CI -16 to -11) populations. The control group was less likely to be discharged with a narcotic prescription for the caesarean section (odds ratio (OR) -1.39, 95% CI -1.00 to -1.92) and combined (OR -1.14, 95% CI -1.04 to -1.24) populations. Intravenous acetaminophen was not associated with improvement in the following patient outcomes: total length of stay, ICU length of stay, total narcotic use, likelihood of receiving a discharge narcotic prescription, and 30-day readmission rate. Based on these findings, clinicians may reconsider the routine use of intravenous acetaminophen.

OUTCOME OF INTRAVENOUS ACETAMINOPHEN IN PAIN RELIEF AMONG UNDERGOING ABDOMINAL HYSTERECTOMY

Objective; To determine the efficacy of intravenous acetaminophen for postoperative pain after abdominal hysterectomy. Material and Methods; A total of 114 women undergoing abdominal hysterectomy were taken in this study. The study was conducted from June 2018 to May 2019 at department of Anesthesiology, Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Results; Our study comprised of 114 ladies undergoing abdominal hysterectomy, mean age of the study cases was 54.13 ± 6.89 years (with minimum age of the patients was 39 years while maximum age was 68 years). Majority of our study cases i.e. 92 (80.7 %) had parity more than 3 and American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score level 1 in 93 (81.6%). Sixty one (53.1%) belonged to rural areas, while mean duration of surgery was 72.80 ± 11.32 minutes. Mean BMI level in our study cases was noted to be 23.98 ±4.17 Kg/m 2 and obesity was present in 34 (29.8%) of our study cases and Efficacy in terms of pain reduction was 73.7%. Conclusion; Our study results support the use of intravenous acetaminophen (IVA) for pain management in patients undergoing abdominal hysterectomy. Intravenous acetaminophen is safe, reliable and effective for the pain management in postoperative abdominal hysterectomy patients which was associated with shorter hospital stay and cost effective for the suffering families. No adverse reactions were noted in this study with the use of intravenous acetaminophen. Keywords; Intravenous acetaminophen, pain relief, Abdominal Hysterectomy. DOI : 10.7176/JMPB/62-10 Publication date: December 31 st 2019

Does intravenous acetaminophen reduce perioperative opioid use in pediatric tonsillectomy?

Postoperative pain control is of significant interest in pediatric otolaryngology given the safety concerns with opioid use. We sought to determine if addition of intraoperative intravenous acetaminophen decreases perioperative morphine use in pediatric tonsillectomy. This study is a retrospective cohort study performed at a tertiary care academic children's hospital. 166 pediatric patients (aged 1-16 years) who underwent tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy were for review. Seventy-four patients received intraoperative intravenous acetaminophen (intervention cohort), while ninety-two patients served as our control and did not receive any intraoperative intravenous acetaminophen. Perioperative (intraoperative and postoperative) morphine use was our primary outcome measure. Rate of adverse events in the post anesthesia care unit and time for discharge readiness were secondary outcome measures. Wilcoxon two-sample t-test approximation and Fisher's exact test were used for data analyses. Patients in the intravenous acetaminophen cohort received less morphine (mg/kg) intraoperatively (0.058 versus 0.070, p = 0.089) and in the post anesthesia care unit (0.034 versus 0.051, p = 0.034) than the control cohort. The median time to discharge readiness for the intravenous acetaminophen and control groups was 108.5 versus 105 min (p = 0.018). There was no adverse respiratory event (oxygen desaturation <92% lasting more than a minute, requiring bag mask ventilation or reintubation) in either group in the post anesthesia care unit. There were 5 (7%) episodes of postoperative vomiting in the IV APAP, while 2 (2%) were recorded in the control cohort (p = 0.244). Our findings suggest intraoperative intravenous acetaminophen use in pediatric tonsillectomy can decrease the perioperative use of opioid for optimal pain management.

Reflective Practice About Retroperitoneal Laparoscopy in Comparison to Open Surgery for Ureteropelvic Junction Obstruction Repair in Children Less Than 1 Year of Age.

Introduction: The interest in laparoscopy in the treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) in children under 12 months of age remains controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate feasibility and benefits of retroperitoneal laparoscopy (RL) compared to open surgery in this age group.Materials and Methods: Between January 2012 and May 2017, we performed 222 pyeloplasties: 144 by laparoscopy and 78 by open surgery. From 2012, the choice of operative technique was decided according to the laparoscopic experience of the surgeon; two surgeons operated laparoscopically on all children <12 months of age, while others operated using posterior lumbotomy (PL). The RL is standardized and performed by 3 trocars (5, 3, 3). Pre, per and postoperative parameters were analyzed retrospectively. Statistical tests: Pearson, Fisher, Student and Mann-Whitney.Results: During this 5-year period, 24 RL and 53 PL were included with a median follow-up of 27 months (5–63). In the LR group, postoperative drainage was performed by JJ (13 cases) and external stent (11 cases). No conversion has been listed in this group. In each group there was one failure that needed redo pyeloplasty. Duration of hospitalization and intravenous acetaminophen use were significantly lower in the RL group (2.8 vs. 2.3 days, p = 0.02, respectively) while operating time was significantly longer (163 vs. 85.8 min, p = 0.001). The postoperative complication rate was statistically identical in each group (urinary tract infection, wall hematoma, hematuria…).Conclusion: RL is feasible in children under 1 year of age in the hands of well-experienced surgeons with longer operative time but without added morbidity. Subject to the retrospective nature of our study, the RL seems to offer a benefit regarding duration of hospitalization and analgesics consumption.

Trends in perioperative opioid and non-opioid utilization during ambulatory surgery in children

BackgroundIn the midst of our national opioid crisis, recommendations have encouraged judicious stewardship of opioid prescription through the expanded use of non-opioid analgesic medications. This study aims to characterize trends in perioperative pain medication use for children undergoing ambulatory operations. MethodsA cross-sectional, retrospective review was conducted using the Pediatric Health Information System. Patients younger than 18 years of age who underwent ambulatory surgery during 2010 to 2017 by one of five surgical subspecialties (otolaryngology, general pediatric, plastic or reconstructive, orthopedics, and urology) were included. Medications were identified using Current Procedural Terminology codes based on billing information for 18 commonly used analgesics along with the route of administration during their encounter. ResultsA total of 1,795,329 patients with a median age of 10 years were identified, of whom 84.3% received an opioid or non-opioid analgesic. Opioid use in the perioperative setting for ambulatory procedures decreased during the study period from 74.9% to 66.9% as a proportion of total analgesic prescriptions. Among opioids commonly used, intravenous morphine decreased the most from 19.8% to 15.4%, and intravenous hydromorphone and oral oxycodone use remained largely unchanged. Conversely, non-opiate medications increased, specifically intravenous ketorolac from 8.4% to 13.6%, and intravenous acetaminophen use increased from 0% to 8.5%. Intravenous acetaminophen use more than doubled between 2013 and 2017 (3.4% to 8.2%) and was accompanied by a decrease in oral acetaminophen use (14.4% to 9.3%). ConclusionOverall, perioperative opioid utilization appears to be decreasing in favor of non-opioid analgesics. Other trends, such as increased intravenous acetaminophen, raise concerns for the cost effectiveness of perioperative analgesia and resource utilization.

The Prophylactic Administration of Intravenous Paracetamol for Control of Shivering During and After Cesarean Section Under Spinal Anesthesia

Background: Shivering refers to a series of repetitive involuntary movements of the skeletal muscles commonly occurring during spinal anesthesia. Regional anesthesia (both spinal and Epidural) reduces vasoconstriction and shivering threshold to 6 degrees Celsius above the surface of the block. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of prophylactic administration of intravenous paracetamol in controlling shivering during and after cesarean section under spinal anesthesia.&#x0D; Methods: In a double-blind randomized clinical trial in the Department of Anesthesiology of Tabriz on patients undergoing cesarean section with spinal anesthesia, the effect of prophylactic administration of paracetamol IV in controlling shivering during and after cesarean section under spinal anesthesia was evaluated.&#x0D; Results: The mean gestational age of patients was 37.94±1.07 weeks in paracetamol group and 37.58±2.07 weeks in the control group (p=0.278). The mean shivering scores of patients in paracetamol group were 0.72±0.80 in the operating room and 1.32±1.05 in recovery room (P&lt;0.001). The mean shivering scores of patients in control group were 1.16±1.07 in the operating room and 2.28±1.45 in recovery room (P&lt;0.001). The mean increase of shivering score in patients was 0.60±0.98 in paracetamol group and 1.12±1.46 in the control group. The mean increase of shivering score in patients in paracetamol group was significantly less than the control group (p=0.041).&#x0D; Conclusion: In the present study, the prophylactic use of intravenous acetaminophen reduced the rate of increase of shivering in patients after spinal anesthesia. Postoperative complications in patients in paracetamol group was less than the control group, however, this difference was not statistically significant.