Cross-sectional E-survey on the Incidence of Pre- and Postoperative Chronic Pain in Bariatric Surgery.

BACKGROUND: To assess the prevalence, incidence, location, and behavior of chronic pre- and postoperative pain in bariatric surgery, and the use of analgesics. METHODS: A cross-sectional e-survey was conducted on 3928 post-bariatric patients and four-time points for pain assessment were evaluated: preoperative, on the ward, day 1 at home postoperatively, and present time (at the time of the e-survey). A numerical rating scale (NRS) was used to assess the level of pain (0 to 10). The general incidence of chronic pain was calculated, as also, subgroups were defined as group A (pre and postoperative chronic pain), B (preoperative pain, and no longer postoperative), and C (preoperative painless, postoperative chronic pain). Besides the pain intensity, location of pain, and the use of analgesics were investigated. RESULTS: A total of 3279 patients (83.9%) responded to the survey. Preoperative and postoperative chronic pain was found in 343 (10.5%) and 264 (8.1%) patients, respectively. In group A, chronic pain was present in 4.8% of the patients; in group B, it was present in 5.7%; and in group C in 3.3% of the patients. Furthermore, in 4.5% of patients pain was located in the abdomen, which was higher as compared to before surgery (+ 2.3%, p < 0.001). The ORs for present postoperative chronic pain were OR 1.45, 1.7, and 1.71 (p = 0.002, 0.003, 0.003) compared to respectively preoperative chronic pain, pain at the ward, and pain at day 1 after surgery. Among all participants, 4.6% consumed chronic analgesics. Of these, paracetamol was used most frequently (3.8%), followed by tramadol (1.3%) and oxycodone (0.5%). CONCLUSIONS: In this e-survey, chronic postoperative abdominal pain was prominent in patients after bariatric surgery. Of patients, 3.3% that were without preoperative chronic pain developed chronic pain after surgery. Opioid consumption in the queried population was relatively low.

Outcome in patients undergoing postponed elective surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic (TRACE II): study protocol for a multicentre prospective observational study.

INTRODUCTION: During the COVID-19 pandemic many non-acute elective surgeries were cancelled or postponed around the world. This has created an opportunity to study the effect of delayed surgery on health conditions prior to surgery and postsurgical outcomes in patients with postponed elective surgery. The control group of the Routine Postsurgical Anesthesia Visit to Improve Patient Outcome (TRACE I) study, conducted between 2016 and 2019, will serve as a control cohort. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: TRACE II is an observational, multicentre, prospective cohort study among surgical patients with postponed surgery due to COVID-19 in academic and non-academic hospitals in the Netherlands. We aim to include 2500 adult patients. The primary outcome will be the 30-day incidence of major postoperative complications. Secondary outcome measures include the 30-day incidence of minor postoperative complications, 1 year mortality, length of stay (in hospital, medium care and intensive care), quality of recovery 30 days after surgery and postoperative quality of life up to 1 year following surgery. Multivariable logistic mixed-effects regression analysis with a random intercept for hospital will be used to test group differences on the primary outcome. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Maastricht University Medical Centre+ and Amsterdam UMC. Findings will be presented at national and international conferences, as well as published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, with a preference for open access journals. Data will be made publicly available after publication of the main results. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NL8841.

Deep Neuromuscular Block Improves Surgical Conditions during Bariatric Surgery and Reduces Postoperative Pain: A Randomized Double Blind Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: It remains unknown whether the administration of a deep neuromuscular block (NMB) during bariatric surgery improves surgical conditions and patient outcome. The authors studied the effect of deep versus moderate NMB in laparoscopic bariatric surgery on surgical conditions and postoperative pain. METHODS AND RESULTS: One hundred patients scheduled to undergo elective bariatric surgery were randomized to a deep NMB (post-tetanic-count 2-3) or a moderate NMB (train-of-four 1-2). The quality of the surgical field was scored using the Leiden-Surgical Rating Scale (L-SRS), a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (extremely poor conditions) to 5 (optimal conditions). Three surgeons scored the L-SRS at 10-min intervals during surgery; postoperative pain scores were obtained in the postanesthesia-care-unit (PACU) and on the ward. Mean (95% confidence interval) L-SRS scores in moderate NMB 4.2 (4.0-4.4) versus 4.8 (4.7-4.9) in deep NMB (p < 0.001). Moderate NMB resulted in 17% of scores at L-SRS scores of 1-3, while deep NMB resulted in 100% scores at the high end of the L-SRS (4-5). Deep NMB led to improved pain scores in the PACU (4.6 (4.2-4.9) versus 3.9 (3.6-4.4), p = 0.03) and reduced shoulder pain on the ward (1.8 (1.5-2.1) versus 1.3 (1.1-1.5), p = 0.03). A composite score of pain and opioid use in the PACU favoured deep NMB (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In bariatric surgery, deep relaxation has advantages for surgeon and patient. Compared to moderate NMB, deep NMB produced stable and improved surgical conditions with less postoperative pain.

Maintaining endotracheal tube cuff pressure at 20 mm Hg to prevent dysphagia after anterior cervical spine surgery; protocol of a double-blind randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In anterior cervical spine surgery a retractor is obligatory to approach the spine. Previous studies showed an increase of endotracheal tube cuff pressure after placement of a retractor. It is known that high endotracheal tube cuff pressure increases the incidence of postoperative dysphagia, hoarseness, and sore throat. However, until now no evidence supports the fact whether adjusting the endotracheal tube cuff pressure during anterior cervical spine surgery will prevent this comorbidity. We present the design of a randomized controlled trial to determine whether adjusting endotracheal tube cuff pressure after placement of a retractor during anterior cervical spine surgery will prevent postoperative dysphagia. METHODS/DESIGN: 177 patients (aged 18-90 years) scheduled for anterior cervical spine surgery on 1 or more levels will be included. After intubation, endotracheal tube cuff pressure is manually inflated to 20 mm Hg in all patients. Patients will be randomized into two groups. In the control group endotracheal tube cuff pressure is not adjusted after retractor placement. In the intervention group endotracheal tube cuff pressure after retractor placement is maintained at 20 mm Hg and air is withdrawn when cuff pressure exceeds 20 mm Hg. Endotracheal tube cuff pressure is measured after intubation, before and after placement and removal of the retractor. Again air is inflated if cuff pressure sets below 20 mmHg after removal of the retractor. The primary outcome measure is postoperative dysphagia. Other outcome measures are postoperative hoarseness, postoperative sore throat, degree of dysphagia, length of hospital stay, and pneumonia. The study is a single centre double blind randomized trial in which patients and research nurses will be kept blinded for the allocated treatment during the follow-up period of 2 months. DISCUSSION: Postoperative dysphagia occurs frequently after anterior cervical spine surgery. This may be related to high endotracheal tube cuff pressure. Whether adaptation and maintaining the pressure after placement of the retractor will decrease the incidence of dysphagia, has to be determined by this trial. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register (NTR) 3542: http://www.trialregister.nl.

Perioperative fasting in adults and children: guidelines from the European Society of Anaesthesiology.

This guideline aims to provide an overview of the present knowledge on aspects of perioperative fasting with assessment of the quality of the evidence. A systematic search was conducted in electronic databases to identify trials published between 1950 and late 2009 concerned with preoperative fasting, early resumption of oral intake and the effects of oral carbohydrate mixtures on gastric emptying and postoperative recovery. One study on preoperative fasting which had not been included in previous reviews and a further 13 studies published since the most recent review were identified. The searches also identified 20 potentially relevant studies of oral carbohydrates and 53 on early resumption of oral intake. Publications were classified in terms of their evidence level, scientific validity and clinical relevance. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network scoring system for assessing level of evidence and grade of recommendations was used. The key recommendations are that adults and children should be encouraged to drink clear fluids up to 2 h before elective surgery (including caesarean section) and all but one member of the guidelines group consider that tea or coffee with milk added (up to about one fifth of the total volume) are still clear fluids. Solid food should be prohibited for 6 h before elective surgery in adults and children, although patients should not have their operation cancelled or delayed just because they are chewing gum, sucking a boiled sweet or smoking immediately prior to induction of anaesthesia. These recommendations also apply to patients with obesity, gastro-oesophageal reflux and diabetes and pregnant women not in labour. There is insufficient evidence to recommend the routine use of antacids, metoclopramide or H2-receptor antagonists before elective surgery in non-obstetric patients, but an H2-receptor antagonist should be given before elective caesarean section, with an intravenous H2-receptor antagonist given prior to emergency caesarean section, supplemented with 30 ml of 0.3 mol l(-1) sodium citrate if general anaesthesia is planned. Infants should be fed before elective surgery. Breast milk is safe up to 4 h and other milks up to 6 h. Thereafter, clear fluids should be given as in adults. The guidelines also consider the safety and possible benefits of preoperative carbohydrates and offer advice on the postoperative resumption of oral intake.

Inappropriate initial treatment of secondary intra-abdominal infections leads to increased risk of clinical failure and costs.

AIMS: The objective of this population-based, retrospective cohort study was to investigate the incidence and initial antibiotic treatment of secondary intra-abdominal infections (sIAI) and to assess whether inappropriate initial antibiotic therapy affects patient outcomes. METHODS: All patients hospitalized for sIAI (1995-1998) were identified in the PHARMO Record Linkage System, a patient-centric database including pharmacy dispensing records from community pharmacies linked to hospitalization records in the Netherlands. Complementary in-hospital antibiotic drug use was obtained from the computerized inpatient pharmacy files. The patient outcomes considered were switch to second-line antibiotic treatment, re-operation, and death. In addition, a composite variable clinical failure was constructed based on the above-mentioned outcomes. Furthermore, the effect of clinical failure on length of hospital stay and costs of hospitalization was assessed. Associations between appropriateness of initial antibiotic treatment and outcomes were estimated using multivariate logistic and linear regression models. RESULTS: In the source population of 228,000 persons, 175 cases were classified as sIAI (mean age 49.3 +/- 24.5, 50.9% male) resulting in an incidence of 2.3/10,000 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0, 2.7]. Initial antibiotic treatment was appropriate for 84% of the cases. The risk of clinical failure was 17.1%. Inappropriate initial antibiotic treatment increased the risk of clinical failure 3.4-fold (95% CI 1.3, 9.1). Length of hospital stay and costs of hospitalization were significantly increased for patients with clinical failure. CONCLUSIONS: Inappropriate choice of initial antibiotic therapy in sIAI patients leads to more clinical failure resulting in a longer hospital stay and higher costs of hospitalization compared with appropriate initial antibiotic therapy.