Intra-operative methadone effect on quality of recovery compared with morphine following laparoscopic gastroplasty: a randomised controlled trial.

The effect of intra-operative intravenous methadone on quality of postoperative recovery was compared with morphine after laparoscopic gastroplasty. We included 137 adult patients with a body mass index > 35 kg.m-2 who underwent bariatric surgery. Patients were allocated at random to receive either intra-operative methadone (n = 69) or morphine (n = 68). All patients received the same postoperative care and analgesia. The primary outcome of postoperative quality of recovery was assessed using the Quality of Recovery-40 questionnaire total score 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes were assessed in the post-anaesthesia care unit the night of the day of surgery (T1), in the morning after surgery (T2); and at night on the day following surgery (T3). The median (IQR [range]) total Quality of Recovery-40 questionnaire score of 194 (190-197 [165-200]) was higher (p < 0.0001) in the methadone group compared with the score of 181 (174-185.5 [121-200]) in the morphine group. In the post-anaesthesia care unit, the pain burden; incidence of nausea and vomiting; rescue morphine dose; and time to discharge, were significantly lower in the methadone group. On the ward, the methadone group had a lower: incidence of rescue morphine requests at T1 (5.8 vs. 54.4%, p < 0.0001) and T2 (0 vs. 20.1%, p < 0.0001); and incidence of nausea (21.7 vs. 41.2%, p = 0.014), compared with the morphine group. We conclude that intra-operative intravenous methadone improved quality of recovery in patients who underwent laparoscopic gastroplasty, compared with intra-operative morphine. Methadone also reduced postoperative pain, postoperative opioid consumption and the incidence of opioid-related adverse events.

The effects of tracheal tube cuffs filled with air, saline or alkalinised lidocaine on haemodynamic changes and laryngotracheal morbidity in children: a randomised, controlled trial.

We studied the effects of tracheal tube cuffs filled with air, saline or alkalinised lidocaine on haemodynamic changes during tracheal extubation and postoperative laryngotracheal morbidity in children. We randomly allocated 164 children aged 3-13 years undergoing general anaesthesia to one of four groups; tracheal tube cuffs filled with air (n = 41); saline (n = 41); alkalinised lidocaine 0.5% (n = 41); or alkalinised lidocaine 1% (n = 41). Intracuff pressure was monitored and maintained below 20 cmH2 O. The mean (SD) increases in systolic blood pressure after tracheal extubation compared with before extubation were 10.9 (10.8) mmHg, 7.3 (17.7) mmHg, 4.1 (10.5) mmHg and 1.9 (9.5) mmHg in the air, saline, 0.5% and 1% alkalinised lidocaine groups, respectively (p = 0.021). The mean (SD) increases in diastolic blood pressure after tracheal extubation compared with before extubation were 3.9 (9.7) mmHg, 7.9 (14.6) mmHg, 0.7 (10.4) mmHg and 3.6 (6.9) mmHg in the air, saline, 0.5% and 1% alkalinised lidocaine groups, respectively (p = 0.019). The mean (SD) increases in heart rate after tracheal extubation compared with before extubation were 14.2 (7.6) beats.min-1 , 15.5 (13.1) beats.min-1 , 5.2 (9.6) beats.min-1 and 4.1 (6.6) beats.min-1 in the air, saline, 0.5% and 1% alkalinised lidocaine groups, respectively (p < 0.001). The incidence of sore throat 8 h after tracheal extubation was 22.0% in the air-filled group, 9.8% in the saline group, 4.9% in the 0.5% alkalinised lidocaine group and 2.4% in the 1% alkalinised lidocaine group, p = 0.015. We conclude that filling the tracheal tube cuff with alkalinised lidocaine-filled reduces the haemodynamic response to tracheal extubation and postoperative laryngotracheal morbidity in children.