Impact of Preoperative Aripiprazole on Postoperative Analgesia in Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A Randomized Double-blind Placebo-controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: Aripiprazole is a second-generation atypical antipsychotic with worldwide clinical approval. Nevertheless, its perioperative antinociceptive application has not been studied. As a result, the purpose of this study was to investigate the analgesic effects of perioperative aripiprazole on reducing postoperative pain, as well as the possible adverse effects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This randomized controlled study enrolled 80 female patients scheduled for laparoscopic hysterectomy who were assigned randomly into 2 equal groups in 1:1; aripiprazole group (n = 40), patients received an aripiprazole 30 mg tablet orally 3 hours before surgery and placebo group (n = 40), patients received a placebo tablet 3 hours before surgery. The 24-hour morphine consumption postoperatively was the primary outcome, and the time to the first analgesic request, sedation scores, and the incidence of perioperative adverse events were the secondary outcomes. RESULTS: The mean 24-hour morphine consumption was significantly lower with aripiprazole (2.5 ± 0.5 mg) than with placebo (23.7 ± 1.6 mg; mean ± SE -21.2 ± 0.3, 95% CI: -21.7 to -20.6, P < 0.001). In addition, the mean time to the first analgesic request was significantly longer with aripiprazole (212.2 ± 14.7 min) than with placebo (27.0 ± 2.0 min; mean ± SE 185.2 ± 2.3, 95% CI: 180.5 to 189.8, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the aripiprazole group reported higher sedation scores ( P < 0.001). Bradycardia and hypotension were reported more frequently among patients in the aripiprazole group ( P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Aripiprazole was effective in reducing pain after laparoscopic hysterectomy. Although self-limited, side effects should be taken into consideration when using the medication perioperatively.

Respiratory Complications Among Living Liver Donors: A Single-Center Retrospective Observational Study.

OBJECTIVES: The safety of living liver donors is considered a high priority. In this study, we aimed to highlight the incidence and risk factors of respiratory complications among living liver transplant donors at our institute. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated data of 178 related living liver donors who were seen from January 2014 to December 2018. We recorded significant respiratory complications, such as pulmonary embolism, pleural effusion, pneumothorax, pneumonia, acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and transfusion-related acute lung injury. Complications were noted as clinically evident and/or needing intervention. We also recorded the frequency of nonrespiratory complications and duration of intensive care unit and hospital stays. RESULTS: Ten donors (5.6%) developed significant respiratory complications: 2 (1.1%) had pulmonary embolisms, 3 (1.7%) developed symptomatic pleural effusion that required thoracentesis, and 4 (2.25%) had chest infections. The remaining donor (0.6%) had unexplained respiratory insufficiency. Logistic regression analyses identified age ≥ 35 years and previous surgery as the main risk factors of significant respiratory complications. There were no recorded cases of pneumothorax, acute lung injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and transfusion-related acute lung injury. Raw surface collection (14.6%) and biliary leakage (7.9%) were the most frequent nonrespiratory complications. There was no significant difference between patients with and without significant respiratory complications with regard to intensive care unit and hospital stays. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the low incidence of significant respiratory complications among our living liver donor cohort, close monitoring and early management are essential to achieve better prognosis, especially in donors older than 35 years or those with previous surgery.

Dexmedetomidine versus fentanyl added to bupivacaine for epidural analgesia in combination with general anesthesia for elective lumbar disc operations: A prospective, randomized double-blinded study.

BACKGROUND: The literature on drugs used for combined general anesthesia and epidural analgesia (CGE) in lumbar operations is scarce. The purpose of the study was to compare the addition of either dexmedetomidine or fentanyl to bupivacaine for epidural analgesia in combination with general anesthesia with regard to efficacy and adverse events in such operations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, randomized, double-blinded study was conducted on 80 patients who were scheduled for an elective lumbar disc operation, age 20-65 years, of either sex and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II. They were randomly allocated into one of the two groups - group bupivacaine-dexmedetomidine (BD) (n = 40): patients who received CGE with 15 mL of bupivacaine 0.20% plus 50 µg of dexmedetomidine and group bupivacaine-fentanyl (BF) (n = 40): patients who received CGE with 15 mL of bupivacaine 0.20% plus 50 µg fentanyl. The primary outcome was time to first analgesic requirement, whereas the secondary outcomes were the total opioid consumption and pain scores during the first 24 h. The incidence of adverse postoperative (PO) effects related to the study drugs, such as sedation, nausea and vomiting, pruritus, shivering, and respiratory depression, was also documented. RESULTS: Patients in the BD group experienced a significantly prolonged pain-free period, lower total opioid consumption, and lower pain scores than patients in the BF group (P < 0.001). Patients in the BD group showed a significantly lower intraoperative heart rate and mean blood pressure (P < 0.001). Regarding adverse events, there were greater PO sedation scores (P < 0.001) and less frequent episodes of PO nausea and vomiting in the BD group. In addition, patients in the BD group showed less pruritis and shivering. There were no reported cases of respiratory depression in either group. CONCLUSION: CGE with bupivacaine plus dexmedetomidine provided better PO pain control than bupivacaine plus fentanyl, with fewer adverse events overall.