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INTRODUCTION: Posterior spinal fusion (PSF) is a commonly performed orthopedic procedure to correct scoliosis in children. Continuous epidural analgesia (CEA) is a proposed means of providing analgesia following PSF. Whether a single epidural catheter with the tip in the upper thorax can provide adequate analgesia for PSF, which often spans the upper thoracic to lower lumbar regions, is unresolved in the literature. METHOD: In this single-center, retrospective study, we reviewed 69 consecutive patients undergoing PSF for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with CEA at our institution from October 1, 2020 to May 26, 2022. Data for the entire cohort was divided into two time intervals before and after epidural removal, group epidural (Epi) and group no epidural (No Epi). Daily intravenous and oral opioid morphine equivalents per kilogram (OME/kg) plus mean and maximal visual analogue pain scores (VAS 0-10) were recorded from post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) discharge to the end of postoperative day (POD) three. Results: 57 patients were included in the study. Opioid usage was 4.5 times greater in the 19 hours following removal of the epidural catheter when compared to the entire period (mean 65 hours) the epidural was in place (Group Epi 0.154 OME/kg vs Group No Epi 0.690 OME/kg, p<0.001). 51% (29/57) of patients did not require opioids (intravenous or oral) while the epidural was in place, all patients required opioids after epidural removal. Mean opioid usage while the epidural was in place was 9.3 OME, equivalent to approximately 6 mg of oxycodone. Mean and maximum pain scores increased significantly after removal of the epidural on POD 3 (mean pain score: Epi 3.4 (1.8) vs No Epi 4.1 (1.7); p<0.001) (max pain score: Epi 4.9 (2.5) vs No Epi 6.3 (2.1); p<0.001). Conclusions: This is the first study we are aware of to report pain scores and cumulative opioid requirements for PSF patients receiving CEA with a single epidural catheter before and after epidural removal. Opioid usage increased over four times in the 19 hours after epidural removal compared to the total opioid requirements while the epidural was infusing. Mean and maximum pain scores increased significantly after removal of the epidural on POD 3. This study firmly establishes that CEA with a single epidural catheter can provide profound analgesia for patients having PSF for AIS.
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Background A quick response (QR) code allows rapid access to an online survey via a smartphone and may improve response rates for web-based surveys. We report the response rates for a QR code-based, self-initiated, longitudinal survey of opioid use and pain scores following hospital discharge in pediatric surgical patients. Methodology All parents of pediatric patients who underwent surgery at one of six pediatric medical facilities were asked to participate in the study from October 5, 2020, until July 15, 2021. Those who chose to participate accessed the initial enrollment survey using a QR code on a handout provided. The next day they received an emailed link to a daily survey until their child was not requiring opioids and had pain scores of less than 4 for the previous 48 hours. Results A total of 1,759 families were asked to participate in the study. The parents of 44 patients completed the initial enrollment survey by accessing the QR code (response rate of 2.5%). Of those who completed the initial survey, 67% were lost to follow-up during the survey series. Conclusions We found an extremely low response rate for a self-initiated survey accessed by QR code. Additionally, we found a drop in the response rate with each successive daily email-based survey. At the end of the survey series, the majority of the initial participants had dropped out. We recommend using alternative modalities (informed consent, telephone call, weekly surveys) for initiating and delivering surveys to improve response rates for similarly designed studies.
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BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that the use of tranexamic acid (TXA) reduces blood loss and transfusion requirements in children undergoing scoliosis surgery. Although TXA is safe and effective, significant adverse events have been reported. Using the lowest effective dose of TXA is advisable. We evaluated a new low dosing regimen for TXA based on an improved pharmacokinetic model and therapeutic plasma concentration. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of this new low dosing regimen in reducing blood loss and transfusion requirements in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion when compared with a control group who did not receive TXA. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 90 consecutive patients with idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion at our institution from 2017 to 2020. Forty patients received TXA at the new dosing regimen (10 mg/kg load, 5 mg/kg/h infusion) and 50 patients were in the non-TXA control group. The same 2 orthopaedic surgeons, working as a team, performed all surgical procedures. We assessed the use of TXA as an independent risk factor for estimated blood loss and transfusion requirement after adjusting for age, surgical duration, body mass index, major coronal curve, and sex. RESULTS: A comparison of the intraoperative cumulative blood loss in the 2 groups showed a significantly lower blood loss in the TXA group. (583.5±272.0 vs. 479.5±288.7 mL, P=0.03) This difference persisted when blood loss was calculated as percent of total blood volume and per vertebral level. Transfusion requirements were lower in the TXA group (4/50 patients vs. 0/40 patients, P=0.13). No patient in the TXA group required a blood transfusion during their hospitalization. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to provide evidence that a new low dosing regimen of TXA can significantly reduce blood loss and transfusion requirements for idiopathic scoliosis patients and supports the need for a prospective, randomized clinical trial to confirm these findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-retrospective cohort study.