S-ketamine in patient-controlled analgesia reduces opioid consumption in a dose-dependent manner after major lumbar fusion surgery: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Spinal fusion surgery causes severe pain. Strong opioids, commonly used as postoperative analgesics, may have unwanted side effects. S-ketamine may be an effective analgesic adjuvant in opioid patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). However, the optimal adjunct S-ketamine dose to reduce postoperative opioid consumption is still unknown. METHODS: We randomized 107 patients at two tertiary hospitals in a double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial of adults undergoing major lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to four groups in order to compare the effects of three different doses of adjunct S-ketamine (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mg ml-1) or placebo on postoperative analgesia in oxycodone PCA. Study drugs were administered for 24 hours postoperative after which oxycodone-PCA was continued for further 48 hours. Our primary outcome was cumulative oxycodone consumption at 24 hours after surgery. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients analyzed, patients receiving 0.75 mg ml-1 S-ketamine in oxycodone PCA needed 25% less oxycodone at 24 h postoperatively (61.2 mg) compared with patients receiving 0.5 mg ml-1 (74.7 mg) or 0.25 mg ml-1 (74.1 mg) S-ketamine in oxycodone or oxycodone alone (81.9 mg) (mean difference: -20.6 mg; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -41 to -0.20; P = 0.048). A beneficial effect in mean change of pain intensity at rest was seen in the group receiving 0.75 mg ml-1 S-ketamine in oxycodone PCA compared with patients receiving lower ketamine doses or oxycodone alone (standardized effect size: 0.17, 95% CI: 0.013-0.32, P = 0.033). The occurrence of adverse events was similar among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Oxycodone PCA containing S-ketamine as an adjunct at a ratio of 1: 0.75 decreased cumulative oxycodone consumption at 24 h after major lumbar spinal fusion surgery without additional adverse effects.

Analgesic Effect of Intraoperative Intravenous S-Ketamine in Opioid-Naïve Patients After Major Lumbar Fusion Surgery Is Temporary and Not Dose-Dependent: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Severe pain often accompanies major spine surgery. Opioids are the cornerstone of postoperative pain management but their use can be limited by numerous side effects. Several studies claim that adjuvant treatment with intravenous (IV) ketamine reduces opioid consumption and pain after back surgery. However, the exact role of ketamine for this indication is yet to be elucidated. We compared 2 different doses of S-ketamine with placebo on postoperative analgesic consumption, pain, and adverse events in adult, opioid-naïve patients after lumbar fusion surgery. METHODS: One hundred ninety-eight opioid-naïve patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery were recruited to this double-blind trial and randomly assigned into 3 study groups: Group C (placebo) received a preincisional IV bolus of saline (sodium chloride [NaCl] 0.9%) followed by an intraoperative IV infusion of NaCl 0.9%. Both groups K2 and K10 received a preincisional IV bolus of S-ketamine (0.5 mg/kg); in group K2, this was followed by an intraoperative IV infusion of S-ketamine (0.12 mg/kg/h), while in group K10, it was followed by an intraoperative IV infusion of S-ketamine (0.6 mg/kg/h). Postoperative analgesia was achieved by an IV patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) device delivering oxycodone. The primary end point was cumulative oxycodone consumption at 48 hours after surgery. The secondary end points included postoperative pain up to 2 years after surgery, adverse events, and level of sedation and confusion in the immediate postoperative period. RESULTS: The median [interquartile range (IQR)] cumulative oxycodone consumption at 48 hours was 154.5 [120] mg for group K2, 160 [109] mg for group K10, and 178.5 [176] mg for group C. The estimated difference was -24 mg between group K2 and group C (97.5% confidence interval [CI], -73.8 to 31.5; P = .170) and -18.5 mg between group K10 and C (97.5% CI, 78.5-29.5; P = .458). There were no significant differences between groups.Postoperative pain scores were significantly lower in both ketamine treatment groups at the fourth postoperative hour but not later during the 2-year study period.The higher ketamine dose was associated with more sedation. Otherwise, differences in the occurrence of adverse events between study groups were nonsignificant. CONCLUSIONS: Neither a 0.12 nor a 0.6 mg/kg/h infusion of intraoperative IV S-ketamine was superior to the placebo in reducing oxycodone consumption at 48 hours after lumbar fusion surgery in an opioid-naïve adult study population. Future studies should assess ketamine's feasibility in specific study populations who most benefit from reduced opioid consumption.

Multiple organ failure as a cause of death in patients with severe burns.

The aim of this study was to investigate the causes of death in patients with burns using both medicolegal autopsy reports and clinical data collected during treatment to specify irreversible organ dysfunctions leading to death. Burn deaths occurring in the Helsinki Burn Center from 1995 to 2005 were identified in the hospital database. The clinical charts and medicolegal autopsy reports were retrieved and compared. The data were evaluated by plastic surgeons specialized in burn care, an intensivist, and a pathologist, with special reference to organ-specific changes in the autopsy reports. From 1999 to 2005, there were 71 burn deaths in the Helsinki Burn Center of which 40% was caused by multiple organ failure (MOF). Death from untreatable burn injury was recorded in 28 patients, whereas other causes were scarce. MOF patients displayed approximately four organ failures on average, ranging from three to eight. All 28 MOF patients were recorded to have acute renal failure, followed by liver damage, of which four patients had acute or chronic liver failure. Sepsis was always affiliated with MOF as a cause of death. In conclusion, careful examination of MOF as a cause of death revealed several organ failures: four organ failures per patient. Acute renal failure was noted in all MOF patients. Sepsis was always affiliated with MOF.

Comparison of premortem clinical diagnosis and autopsy findings in patients with burns.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the diagnostic advancements, some clinically important diagnoses remain undetected during intensive care in burn patients. The aim of this study was to compare the premortem clinical diagnoses and autopsy findings. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of all burn deaths during 1995-2005 was conducted. The clinical diagnoses and autopsy reports were reviewed, and diagnostic discrepancies were classified into four categories, according to the impact on the treatment. RESULTS: Overall mortality during the study period was 5.4%. Altogether 74 deaths were recorded, of which 71 were included in the study. Typical patient was a 58-year-old male with flame burn of %TBSA 49, ABSI 10. Clinical diagnostic discrepancies were found in 14.1% of the patients; one diagnostic discrepancy was recorded in each of the patients. Of these diagnostic discrepancies, 8.5% were considered major, and 5.6% would have altered the clinical outcome or therapy, if known at the time. Diagnostic discrepancies consisted of one cardiovascular, seven respiratory and two gastrointestinal missed diagnosis. The most common missed diagnosis was pneumonia. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the usefulness of autopsies to provide valuable clinical data for the treatment of burn patients. It also highlights the few missed diagnoses which may occur in burn patients.

Multi-detector computed tomography demonstrates smoke inhalation injury at early stage.

A multitrauma victim was transported to our trauma centre. Smoke inhalation injury was suspected based on trauma history and clinical examination. The first trauma computer tomography (CT) obtained 2.8 h after the injury revealed subtle ground-glass opacifications with mainly peribronchial distribution and patchy peribronchial consolidations centrally in the left lung. A repeated scan showed a more distinctive demarcation of the peribronchial opacities, further substantiating the clinically verified smoke inhalation injury. The golden standard for diagnosing smoke inhalation injury still is fibroptic bronchoscopy examination. This paper shows that lesions typical to smoke inhalation injury appear much earlier than previously reported. Whether assessment of smoke inhalation injury severity using CT could clinically benefit patients is controversial and still requires further research. Multi-detector computed tomography is readily available in trauma centres and to simply neglect its potential as a diagnostic tool in some inhalation injury would be unwise.