Use of a buprenorphine-based pain management protocol is associated with reduced opioid requirements and pain on swallowing in oral mucositis: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to ascertain the analgesic efficacy and total oral morphine equivalent daily dose (OMEDD) effect of a buprenorphine-based analgesic protocol in the treatment of severe Oral Mucositis (OM). DESIGN: This is a retrospective cohort study. SETTING: This study was done in a single Quaternary Referral Centre, Haematology Unit. SUBJECTS: Fifty-four stem cell transplant patients suffering at least grade 3 oral mucositis (OM), 24 prior to [Pr-I] and 30 subsequent to [Po-I] a buprenorphine-based OM analgesic protocol. METHODS: We analysed data from the above subjects with the primary outcome measure of difference in total OMEDDs from all opioid types and administration routes, and secondary outcome measures of area under the curve (AUC) of 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11) pain assessments, sedation scores and respiratory rate. RESULTS: Post-protocol patients' total OMEDD requirements were significantly reduced [Pr-I: 1961 (1365)mg; Po-I: 928 (625)mg, p = 0.02], as were total NRS-11:hours AUC on swallowing [Pr-I: 54(24) score-hours; Po-I: 41(18) score-hours, p < 0.001]. There were no significant differences in objective measures of OM severity between groups (Number of Grade 3 or 4 OM severity assessments [mean (SD)] Pr-I: 5 (6.2); Po-I: 7 (5.1) or number of days Neutrophil count 0.0 or 0.1 × 109/L; Pr-I: 13 (5.4); Po-I: 15 (4.7)). 5 Pr-I and 4 Po-I patients required ketamine infusions, with 1 Pr-I patient also requiring IV lignocaine. CONCLUSIONS: Use of Buprenorphine via transdermal, sublingual and intravenous Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) delivery as part of an analgesic protocol for severe post stem cell transplant oral mucositis in adult patients appears to significantly reduce opioid requirements and pain on swallowing. Further randomised prospective work is required to confirm these associations.

Complete opioid transition to sublingual Buprenorphine after abdominal surgery is associated with significant reductions in opioid requirements, but not reduction in hospital length of stay: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The use of sublingual buprenorphine (SLBup) for acute pain after major abdominal surgery may offer the potential advantages of unique analgesic properties and more reliable absorption during resolving ileus. We hypothesized that complete opioid transition to SLBup rather than oral oxycodone (OOxy) in the early postoperative period after major abdominal surgery would reduce hospital length of stay, and acute pain and total OMEDD (Oral Morphine Equivalent Daily Dose) requirements in the first 24 h from post-parenteral opioid transition. METHODS: We reviewed 146 patients who had undergone elective and emergency abdominal surgery under our quaternary referral centre's Upper Gastro-Intestinal and Colo-Rectal Surgical Units 6 months before and after the introduction of complete postoperative transition to sublingual buprenorphine, rather than oral oxycodone, in July 2017. Our primary endpoint was 24-hourly post-transition OMEDDs; secondary endpoints were 24-hourly post-transition Mean NRS-11 pain scores on movement (POM) and length of hospital stay (LOS). Univariate analysis and linear multivariate regression analyses were used to quantify effect size and identify surgical, patient & other analgesic factors associated with these outcome measures. RESULTS: Patients transitioning to SLBup had reduced 24-hourly post-transition OMEDD requirements on postoperative day 2 (POD) (26 mg less, p = 0.04) and NRS-11 POM at POD1 (0.7 NRS-11 units less, p = 0.01). When adjusting for patient, surgical and special analgesic factors, SLBup was associated with a similar reduction in OMEDDs (Unstandardised beta-coefficient -26 mg, p = 0.0001), but not NRS-11 POM (p = 0.47) or hospital LOS (p = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: Our change of practice from use of OOxy to SLBup as primary transition opioid from patient-controlled analgesia delivered full opioid agonists was associated with a clinically significant decrease in 24-hourly post-parenteral opioid transition OMEDDs and improved NRS-11 POM, but without an association with hospital LOS after major abdominal surgery. Further prospective randomized work is required to confirm these observed associations and impact on other important patient-centred outcomes.

Opioid Prescription After Cardiac Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To characterise short-term and long-term opioid prescription patterns after cardiac surgery. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We obtained data from a single Australian tertiary hospital from November 2012 to July 2019 and included 2,205 patients who underwent a primary cardiac surgical procedure. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was the dose of opioids at hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included factors associated with high dose opioid prescriptions and persistent opioids use after cardiac surgery. RESULTS: Overall, 76.4% of study patients were prescribed opioids at hospital discharge, with a median discharge prescription of 150 mg oral morphine equivalents. Moreover, 52.8% of discharge opioid prescriptions were as slow-release formulations and 60.0% of all discharge prescriptions were for patients who had received no opioids the day before discharge. In the subset of our patients with long-term data, 14.0% were still receiving opioids at 3-12 months after cardiac surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In cardiac surgical patients, opioid prescriptions at discharge were common, most were at higher than recommended doses and more than half were slow-release formulations. Such prescription was associated with one in seven patients continuing to receive opioids 3-12 months after surgery.

Multimodal intrathecal analgesia (MITA) with morphine for reducing postoperative opioid use and acute pain following hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery: A multicenter retrospective study.

INTRODUCTION: The optimal analgesic modality for patients undergoing hepato-pancreato-biliary (HPB) surgery remains unknown. The analgesic effects of a multimodal intrathecal analgesia (MITA) technique of intrathecal morphine (ITM) in combination with clonidine and bupivacaine compared to ITM alone have not been investigated in these patients. METHODS: We performed a multicenter retrospective study of patients undergoing complex HPB surgery who received ITM, bupivacaine, and clonidine (MITA group) or ITM-only (ITM group) as part of their perioperative analgesia strategy. The primary outcome was the unadjusted oral morphine equivalent daily dose (oMEDD) in milligrams on postoperative day 1. After adjusting for age, body mass index, hospital allocation, type of surgery, operation length, and intraoperative opioid use, postoperative oMEDD use was investigated using a bootstrapped quantile regression model. Other prespecified outcomes included postoperative pain scores, opioid-related adverse events, major complications, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: In total, 118 patients received MITA and 155 patients received ITM-only. The median (IQR) cumulative oMEDD use on postoperative day 1 was 20.5 mg (8.6:31.0) in the MITA group and 52.1 mg (18.0:107.0) in the ITM group (P < 0.001). There was a variation in the magnitude of the difference in oMEDD use between the groups for different quartiles. For the MITA group, on postoperative day 1, patients in the 25th percentile required 14.0 mg less oMEDD (95% CI: -25.9 to -2.2; P = 0.025), patients in the 50th percentile required 27.8 mg less oMEDD (95% CI: -49.7 to -6.0; P = 0.005), and patients in the 75th percentile required 38.7 mg less oMEDD (95% CI: -72.2 to -5.1; P = 0.041) compared to patients in the same percentile of the ITM group. Patients in the MITA group had significantly lower pain scores in the postoperative recovery unit and on postoperative days 1 to 3. The incidence of postoperative respiratory depression was low (<1.5%) and similar between groups. Patients in the MITA group had a significantly higher incidence of postoperative hypotension requiring vasopressor support. However, no significant differences were observed in major postoperative complications, or the length of hospital stay. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing complex HPB surgery, the use of MITA, consisting of ITM in combination with intrathecal clonidine and bupivacaine, was associated with reduced postoperative opioid use and resulted in superior postoperative analgesia without risk of respiratory depression when compared to patients who received ITM alone. A randomized prospective clinical trial investigating these two intrathecal analgesic techniques is justified.

Peri-OPerative Pain Management, Education & De-escalation (POPPMED), a novel anaesthesiologist-led program, significantly reduces acute and long-term postoperative opioid requirements: a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: The opioid tolerant patient requiring surgery is highly likely to be discharged on high Oral Morphine Equivalent Daily Dosages (OMEDDs), with concomitant risk of increased morbidity and mortality. Objectives: We proposed that a single anaesthesiologist-led POPPMED (Peri-Operative Pain Management, Education & De-escalation) service could reduce both short and long-term postoperative patient OMEDDs. Methods: From April 2017, our anaesthesiologist-led POPPMED service, engaged 102 perioperative patients treated with >50mg preoperative OMEDDs. We utilized behavioural interventions; acute opioid reduction and/ or rotation; and regional, multimodal and ketamine analgesia to achieve lowest possible hospital discharge and long term OMEDDs. Results: Patients' preoperative OMEDDs were [median (IQR): 115mg (114mg)], and were representative of an older [age 62 (15) years], high-risk [89% ASA status 3 or 4] patient population. 46% of patients received an acute opioid rotation; 70% received ketamine infusions; and 44% regional analgesia. OMEDDs on discharge [-25mg (82mg), p=0.003] and at 6-12 months [-55mg (105mg ), p<0.0001] were significantly reduced; 84% and 87% of patients achieved OMEDD reduction on discharge and at 6-12 months. Patients with >90mg preoperative OMEDDs achieved greater reductions [discharge: 71% of patients, -52 mg (118 mg) p<0.0001; 6-12 months: 90% of patients, -90mg (115mg), p<0.0001]. On comparison with a pre-POPPMED surgical cohort, Postoperative Day 1-3 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11) area under the curve (AUC) measurements at rest and on movement were not significantly different (largest NRS-11:hours AUC difference [median(IQR)] 22 [13], p= 0.24). Hospital length of stay was variably increased. Conclusions: POPPMED achieved sustained OMEDD reductions safely in an older, high-risk opioid tolerant population, with analgesia comparable to a non-POPPMED cohort, and surgery specific effects on length of stay.