Evaluation of a multidisciplinary, multimodal pain management protocol following pancreas transplantation.

INTRODUCTION: Patients undergoing solid-organ transplantation demonstrate pain arising from both the surgical intervention and pre-existing comorbidities. High levels of opioid use both pre- and post-transplant are associated with unfavorable transplant outcomes. Patient education, multimodal therapy, and discharge planning have all been demonstrated to reduce opioid use after transplant. METHODS: This is a single-center, retrospective study analyzing patients before and after implementation of a multimodal, multidisciplinary pain management protocol. Morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) use during the index transplant hospitalization and the need for opioids at discharge was compared between the pre- and post-protocol groups. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients were included in the study, 31 in the pre and 21 in the post-protocol groups. Inpatient MME use was reduced from 135.5 to 67.5 MMEs after protocol implementation. Additionally, the number of patients discharged on opioids following transplant decreased from 90.3% to 47.6%. Pain scores, length of stay (LOS), and return of bowel function was not different between groups. CONCLUSION: The implementation of a multimodal, multidisciplinary pain management protocol significantly decreased opioid use during the post-surgical hospitalization and in the 6 months following transplantation. A combination of non-opioid analgesics, patient education, and discharge planning can be beneficial elements in pancreas transplant pain management.

Pancreas Transplant at the University of Maryland.

The characteristic of our diabetic population has been ever changing. No longer are our Type 1 diabetics young and thin; they too suffer from the obesity epidemic and now present later with the complications of diabetes (renal dysfunction, hypoglycemic unawareness, vision loss, neuropathy, etc.). Even with all of our medical and technological advances to combat diabetes, there are many who are not very well controlled. We evaluated the pancreas transplant recipients in the last three years at the University of Maryland to study the outcomes of these older and higher body mass index (BMI) recipients, as well as the impact of using older and higher BMI donors. We saw no difference in the survival of the patient or the allograft of recipients who were older or had higher BMIs. We also saw no difference in morbidity for these patients. There also was no difference when using older or higher BMI donor organs, longer cold ischemic times, different types of donors (donation after cardiac death versus brain dead donors), or different types of organs (simultaneous pancreas kidney, pancreas transplant alone, or pancreas after kidney). In reviewing our waitlist, our patients range widely in age and BMI. As long as they are fit for surgery, we will continue to transplant our ever growing population of older and obese diabetics without any more adverse outcomes than occur in our normal weight and younger patients.

Studies towards the next generation of antidepressants. Part 4: derivatives of 4-(5-fluoro-1H-indol-3-yl)cyclohexylamine with affinity for the serotonin transporter and the 5-HT1A receptor.

Derivatives of the serotonin reuptake inhibitor 4-(5-fluoro-1H-indol-3-yl)cyclohexylamine, in which serotonin 1A (5-HT(1A)) receptor pharmacophoric elements are incorporated, are reported. Analogs exhibiting affinity for both the serotonin transporter and the 5-HT(1A) receptor are described. Compounds containing 1-(4-indolyl)piperazine and 2-(1H-indol-4-yloxy)ethylamine are promising leads for further SAR studies.