Acute pain service reduces barriers to buprenorphine/naloxone initiation by using regional anesthesia techniques.

BACKGROUND: Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are a life-saving intervention; thus, it is important to address barriers to successful initiation. Spasticity affects many patients with spinal cord injury and can be painful and physically debilitating. Chronic painful conditions can lead to the illicit use of non-prescribed opioids, but fear of pain is a barrier to the initiation of MOUD. In this case report, we describe the novel use of botulinum toxin A injections to treat abdominal spasticity and facilitate Acute Pain Service-led buprenorphine/naloxone initiation in a patient with opioid use disorder and severe abdominal spasticity due to spinal cord injury. CASE PRESENTATION: A patient with C4 incomplete tetraplegia and opioid use disorder complicated by abdominal spasticity refractory to oral antispasmodics and self-treating with intravenous heroin was referred to the Acute Pain Service for inpatient buprenorphine/naloxone initiation. The patient began to fail initiation of buprenorphine/naloxone secondary to increased pain from abdominal spasms. The patient was offered ultrasound-guided abdominal muscle chemodenervation with botulinum toxin A, which resulted in the resolution of abdominal spasticity and facilitated successful buprenorphine/naloxone initiation. At 6 months post-initiation, the patient remained abstinent from non-prescribed opioids and compliant with buprenorphine/naloxone 8 mg/2 mg three times a day. CONCLUSIONS: This case report demonstrates that inpatient buprenorphine/naloxone initiation by an Acute Pain Service can improve the success of treatment by addressing barriers to initiation. Acute Pain Service clinicians possess unique skills and knowledge, including ultrasound-guided interventions, that enable them to provide innovative and personalized approaches to care in the complex opioid use disorder population.

Retrolaminar Continuous Nerve Block Catheter for Multiple Rib Fractures: A Case Report.

Rib fractures carry high morbidity and mortality due to pain-related complications, such as hypoventilation, atelectasis, and pneumonia. Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia is a common treatment for pain associated with rib fractures. But, due to a variety of reasons, ultrasound images can be ambiguous or unhelpful. In these instances, it is advantageous to have a tactile or landmark-based approach to treating rib fracture pain. We present a case of a continuous retrolaminar nerve block catheter placed without ultrasound guidance in a 67-year-old man with oxygen-dependent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a prior intrathecal pump, who presents with multiple unilateral rib fractures.