R. Jokela

A randomized controlled trial of perioperative administration of pregabalin for pain after laparoscopic hysterectomy

&NA; Pregabalin has anticonvulsant, antihyperalgesic, and anxiolytic properties. In this study we evaluated the control of pain after perioperative administration of pregabalin 300 or 600 mg, compared with diazepam 10 mg. Altogether 91 women scheduled for laparoscopic hysterectomy were randomized to receive diazepam 10 mg (D10), pregabalin 150 mg (P300) or 300 mg (P600) for premedication, and the dose was repeated after 12 h, except for the D10 group, in which the patients received placebo. Up until the 1st postoperative morning, analgesia was provided by oxycodone using patient controlled analgesia. The visual analogue scale scores for pain and side effects, and the amounts of the analgesics were recorded for three days after surgery. The doses of oxycodone during hours 0–12 after surgery were similar in the three groups, whereas the dose of oxycodone during hours 12–24 after surgery was smaller in the P600 group than in the P300 group (0.09 vs. 0.16 mg kg−1; P = 0.025). The total dose of oxycodone (0–24 h after surgery) was smaller in the P600 group than in the D10 group (0.34 vs. 0.45 mg kg−1; P = 0.046). The incidence of dizziness (70% vs. 35%; P = 0.012), blurred vision (63% vs. 14%; P = 0.002) and headache (31% vs. 7%; P = 0.041) were higher in the P600 group than in the D10 group. In conclusion, perioperative administration of pregabalin 600 mg decreases oxycodone consumption compared with diazepam 10 mg, but is associated with an increased incidence of adverse effects.

Premedication with pregabalin 75 or 150 mg with ibuprofen to control pain after day-case gynaecological laparoscopic surgery

BACKGROUND Multimodal pain management has been suggested to improve postoperative analgesia. In this study, we evaluated the quality of analgesia in women undergoing day-case gynaecological laparoscopic surgery, after premedication with pregabalin 75 mg (P75) or 150 mg (P150), compared with diazepam 5 mg (D5). All patients were given ibuprofen 800 mg orally. METHODS Altogether 90 consenting women were anaesthetized in a standardized fashion. Postoperative analgesia was provided by ibuprofen 800 mg twice a day with fentanyl i.v. on request in the recovery room (RR), and combination tablets with acetaminophen and codeine after the RR. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores for pain and side-effects and the amounts of postoperative analgesics were recorded for 24 h after surgery. The areas under the curves (AUC) were calculated for the VAS scores for pain at rest, pain in motion, and pain at cough 1-8 and 1-24 h after surgery. RESULTS The median AUC values for VAS scores for pain at rest (P=0.048) and in motion (P=0.046) 1-8 h after surgery were lower in the P150 group than that in the D5 group. The amounts of rescue analgesics or the degree of drowsiness did not differ in the three study groups. CONCLUSIONS Analgesia was better after premedication with pregabalin 150 mg than after diazepam 5 mg, both with ibuprofen 800 mg, during the early recovery after day-case gynaecological laparoscopic surgery. Pregabalin 150 mg did not reduce the amount of postoperative analgesics required.

A comparison of selective spinal anesthesia with hyperbaric bupivacaine and general anesthesia with desflurane for outpatient knee arthroscopy

In this randomized and controlled trial, 64 adult ambulatory knee arthroscopy patients received either selective spinal anesthesia (SSA) with 4 mg of hyperbaric bupivacaine or general anesthesia (GA) with desflurane. We conducted the study to determine whether SSA with small-dose bupivacaine provides equal fast-tracking possibilities, a shorter stay in the postanesthesia care unit, and earlier discharge home compared with GA with desflurane. Patients with a high risk for postoperative nausea and vomiting received prophylaxis in the GA group. No difference was seen in the fast-tracking possibilities or time in the postanesthesia care unit between the groups. Home readiness was achieved after 114 (31–174) and 129 (28–245) min (NS) in the SSA and GA groups, respectively. In the hospital, the pain scores were significantly (P < 0.001) lower in the SSA group compared with the GA group and the need for postoperative opioids was significantly (P = 0.008) larger after GA. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was 0% versus 19% in the SSA and GA groups (P = 0.024), respectively. We conclude that for outpatients undergoing knee arthroscopy, SSA with hyperbaric bupivacaine provides equal recovery times with less frequent side effects compared with GA with desflurane.

Selective Spinal Anesthesia: A Comparison of Hyperbaric Bupivacaine 4 mg Versus 6 mg for Outpatient Knee Arthroscopy

IMPLICATIONS A low-dose (4 mg), low-volume (0.8 mL), low-flow (2 min) technique with hyperbaric bupivacaine toward the dependent side oriented injection and maintenance of the lateral decubitus position for 10 min produced selective spinal anesthesia with rapid recession of motor block and early discharge home.

Intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine 3 mg + fentanyl 10 µg for outpatient knee arthroscopy with tourniquet

Background:  Combination of local anesthetic and opioid enables the use of less spinal anesthetic and increases the success of anesthesia. Intrathecal opioid does not prolong motor recovery and thus should not delay discharge home. We hypothesized that 3 mg of hyperbaric bupivacaine with 10 µg of fentanyl permits fast‐tracking or shorter stay in post anesthesia care unit (PACU), and earlier discharge home, compared with 4 mg of hyperbaric bupivacaine.

The Effective Analgesic Dose of Dexamethasone After Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

BACKGROUND: Apart from being antiemetic, glucocorticoids have an analgesic property. The optimal dose of dexamethasone in the management of pain after surgery has not been established. In this placebo-controlled, dose-finding study, we evaluated the analgesic effect of three doses of dexamethasone after laparoscopic hysterectomy. METHODS: We randomized 129 women scheduled for laparoscopic hysterectomy to receive placebo, dexamethasone 5 mg (D5), 10 mg (D10), or 15 mg (D15) IV before the induction of anesthesia. The patients were anesthetized with propofol and remifentanil in a standardized manner. Until the first postoperative morning, postoperative pain was managed with IV oxycodone using patient-controlled analgesia. The visual analog scale scores for pain and side effects, and the amounts of the analgesics were recorded for 3 days after surgery. RESULTS: The total dose of oxycodone (0–24 h after surgery) was smaller in the D15 (0.34 mg/kg [0.11–0.87]) group than in the placebo group (0.55 mg/kg [0.19–1.13]) (P = 0.003). The doses of oxycodone during Hours 0–2 after surgery were smaller in the D10 (0.17 mg/kg [0.03–0.36]) and D15 (0.17 mg/kg [0.03–0.35]) groups than in the placebo (0.26 mg/kg [0.10–0.48]) (P = 0.001, D10 versus placebo; P < 0.001, D15 versus placebo) group. During Hours 2–24 after surgery, however, the doses of oxycodone were equal in the placebo, D5, D10, and D15 groups (0.31 mg/kg [0.03–0.78], 0.22 mg/kg [0.03–0.92], 0.24 mg/kg [0.05–0.87], and 0.20 mg/kg [0–0.65], respectively). The visual analog scale scores for pain at rest, in motion, or at cough did not differ in the study groups. The incidence of dizziness was lower in the D15 group than in the placebo group (P = 0.001), the D5 group (P = 0.006), and the D10 group (P = 0.030) during the first 24 h after surgery. During the later course of recovery, the incidence of dizziness did not differ among the four study groups. CONCLUSIONS: IV dexamethasone 15 mg before induction of anesthesia decreases the oxycodone consumption during the first 24 h after laparoscopic hysterectomy. During first 2 h after surgery, dexamethasone 10 mg reduces the oxycodone consumption as effectively as the 15 mg dose.

An open non-randomized study of recombinant activated factor VII in major postpartum haemorrhage

Background:  Empirical off‐label use of recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa) has been reported to be effective in some cases of severe postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). Successful management of these patients has lead to more wide‐spread use of rFVIIa in less severe cases without any evidence for the advantages of its administration.

Pain in 1,000 women treated for breast cancer: a prospective study of pain sensitivity and postoperative pain.

Background:This article describes the methods and results of the early part (experimental pain tests and postoperative analgesia) of a study that assesses genetic and other factors related to acute pain and persistent pain after treatment of breast cancer in a prospective cohort of 1,000 women. Methods:One thousand consenting patients were recruited to the study. Before surgery (breast resection or mastectomy with axillary surgery), the patients filled in questionnaires about health, life style, depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). They were also exposed to experimental tests measuring heat (43° and 48°C, 5 s) and cold (2-4°C) pain intensity and tolerance. Anesthesia was standardized with propofol and remifentanil, and postoperative analgesia was optimized with i.v. oxycodone. Results:The patients showed significant interindividual variation in heat and cold pain sensitivity and cold pain tolerance. There was a strong correlation between the experimental pain measures across the tests. Presence of chronic pain, the number of previous operations, and particularly state anxiety were related to increased pain sensitivity. Previous smoking correlated with decreased heat pain sensitivity. These factors explained 4–5% of the total variance in pain sensitivity in these tests. Oxycodone consumption during 20 h was significantly higher in patients who had axillary clearance. Oxycodone consumption had only a weak correlation with the experimental pain measures. Conclusions:Contact heat and cold pressure tests identify variability in pain sensitivity which is modified by factors such as anxiety, chronic pain, previous surgery, and smoking. High levels of anxiety are connected to increased pain sensitivity in experimental and acute postoperative pain.In a study of 1,000 women undergoing breast surgery for cancer, a small portion of the variance in preoperative response to noxious heat and cold testing could be explained by anxiety, the presence of chronic pain, and the number of previous operations. There was a weak correlation between response to experimental pain testing and acute postoperative pain, with largely similar predictive factors across both.

The Influence of Ondansetron on the Analgesic Effect of Acetaminophen After Laparoscopic Hysterectomy

The 5‐HT3 antagonists tropisetron and granisetron have been shown to block the analgesic effect of acetaminophen in healthy volunteers. To study the interaction between ondansetron and acetaminophen in women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy, we randomized 134 patients into three groups to receive acetaminophen–placebo (AP), acetaminophen–ondansetron (AO), or placebo–placebo (PP). One gram of intravenous acetaminophen or placebo was administered at the induction of anesthesia and every 6 h thereafter for 24 h, and 4 mg of ondansetron or placebo was administered at the end of surgery. Pain control was provided by patient‐controlled analgesia (PCA)‐oxycodone. Acetaminophen (as compared to placebo) in periodic doses starting at induction of anesthesia reduced the total dosage of oxycodone required over 0–24 h (P = 0.031), but ondansetron given at the end of the surgery had no impact on the analgesic effect of acetaminophen (P = 0.723). The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) scores for pain were similar whether ondansetron or placebo was administered at the end of the surgery. Therefore, it may be concluded that in women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy, the administration of periodic doses of intravenous acetaminophen (as compared to placebo) starting at induction of anesthesia reduces the total dose requirement of oxycodone, and a concomitant dose of a 5‐HT3 antagonist such as ondansetron at the end of the surgery does not block the analgesic effect of acetaminophen.

Ondansetron does not prevent pruritus induced by low-dose intrathecal fentanyl

Background:  Addition of an opioid to low‐dose spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine improves the quality and success of anesthesia. However, the intrathecal fentanyl‐induced pruritus is as high as 75%. We hypothesized that after administration of 4 or 8 mg of prophylactic IV ondansetron, the incidence of pruritus induced by low‐dose intrathecal fentanyl would be significantly lower than after placebo.