The Effect of Granisetron, Ondansetron, and Meperidine in Preventing Postoperative Shivering: Controlled Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Recently, use of HT35 receptor antagonists to prevent postoperative shivering has attracted a great deal of attention. This study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effectiveness of granisetron as an HT35 antagonist when compared with ondansetron and meperidine in preventing postoperative shivering. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this triple blind random clinical trial study, 90 patients 18-50 years of age with ASA Class I and II undergoing general anesthesia were randomly assigned into one of the three drug groups: O (4-mg ondansetron), G (40 µg/kg of granisetron), and P (25 mg meperidine), immediately before induction of anesthesia. After anesthesia induction, at the end of the surgery, after the entrance and after leaving the recovery state, central temperature, peripheral temperature, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and shivering were measured and documented. Two-tailed P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: In the meperidine, ondansetron, and granisetron groups, 4 (13.3%), 3 (10%), and 10 (33.3%) of patients experienced shivering during recovery, where the difference between the ondansetron and granisetron groups was significant (p-value=0.02). The variations in the mean arterial pressure during the investigation stages only in the ondansetron group were not significant (p>0.05). At the beginning of recovery, the reduction of peripheral temperature significantly was lower in the ondansetron group (p<0.05), while reduction of the central temperature was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the granisetron group. By the end of the recovery, the variations in the peripheral temperature across the three groups were consistent with the changes at the beginning of recovery, but variations of the central temperature across the three groups was not significantly diverse. CONCLUSION: Granisetron was not found to be much effective in preventing postoperative shivering. Ondansetron and meperidine were equally effective in preventing postoperative shivering. Ondansetron also causes less hemodynamic changes compared to other drugs, while granisetron is more effective in terms of preventing nausea and vomiting.

Management of analgesia in acute pancreatitis: Results of a national survey. / Manejo de la analgesia en la pancreatitis aguda. Resultados de una encuesta nacional.

INTRODUCTION: Acute pancreatitis is one of the main reasons for digestive admissions. Adequate pain treatment is crucial in its management. However, there are hardly any descriptions of the analgesic guidelines used in our setting. METHODS: On-line survey on analgesic management in acute pancreatitis, aimed at attending physicians and residents practising in Spain. RESULTS: Two hundred and nine physicians from 88 centres responded to the survey. Ninety percent were specialists in gastrointestinal medicine and 69% worked in a tertiary centre. The majority (64.4%) do not routinely use scales to measure pain. When choosing a drug, experience in its use was the most important factor. The most commonly prescribed initial treatments are: combination of paracetamol and metamizole (53.5%), paracetamol alone (19.1%) and metamizole alone (17.4%). As rescue: meperidine (54.8%), tramadol (17.8%), morphine chloride (17.8%) and metamizole (11.5%). Continuous perfusion is used in 8.2% of initial treatments. Physicians with >10 years of service use more metamizole as monotherapy (50%), while residents and attending physicians with <10 years of service prescribe it in combination with paracetamol (85%). If progression is needed, morphine chloride and meperidine are mainly used. The speciality of the respondent, the size of the work centre and the unit/service where the patients were admitted did not influence the analgesia prescribed. Satisfaction with pain management reached 7.8/10 (SD 0.98). CONCLUSION: In our setting, metamizole and paracetamol are the most commonly used analgesics as initial pain treatment in acute pancreatitis, and meperidine is the most commonly used rescue analgesic.

Examining the efficacy of intravenous ibuprofen and meperidine for preventing post-operative shivering after laparoscopic cholecystectomy with general anesthesia.

Postoperative shivering is a common complication that can lead to increased postoperative complications. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of intravenous ibuprofen and meperidine in preventing shivering following laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A total of 120 patients, aged 20-70 and classified as ASA I-II, were enrolled in this triple-blind clinical trial. The participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: ibuprofen (800mg IV), meperidine (30 mg), or placebo (normal saline 2 ml), administered 30 minutes before the end of surgery. The occurrence of postoperative shivering was assessed and recorded at regular intervals (0, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes after surgery). Additionally, postoperative pain levels were measured using a visual analog scale (VAS), sedation levels were evaluated using the Ramsay Sedation Scale (RSS), and the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting was documented. The prevalence and severity of postoperative shivering were not statistically significant between groups. The VAS was significantly lower in the meperidine group than the ibuprofen group throughout the study (p <0.001). The VAS was significantly lower in the ibuprofen group than the placebo group at 0 and 15 minutes after surgery. Although the incidence of nausea was slightly higher in the meperidine group, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.75). Sedation scores were consistently lower in the ibuprofen group and higher in the meperidine group compared to the other groups (p<0.0001) The meperidine group had a significantly higher sedation score indicative of deep sleepiness (score of 4) than the other groups. Intravenous ibuprofen demonstrated comparable efficacy to meperidine in controlling shivering. Additionally, the incidence of nausea, vomiting, and sleepiness was lower in the intravenous ibuprofen group, suggesting it is a potential alternative to meperidine.

Evaluating Caudal Block Enhancements in Pediatric Circumcision: Do Additional Analgesics Make a Difference?

BACKGROUND Caudal block is widely regarded as the top choice for multimodal analgesia in children undergoing urological surgeries, particularly circumcision. This study investigates the efficacy of caudal block and the necessity of rescue analgesia in circumcision surgeries. MATERIAL AND METHODS A prospective, single-blind study was conducted at Ordu University Training and Research Hospital from December 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023. The study randomly divided ASA class I-II children aged 1-12 years into 3 groups for circumcision surgery. Group C received only caudal block. Group CP received caudal block with 10 mg/kg intravenous paracetamol. Group CM received caudal block with 1 mg/kg intravenous meperidine. In each case, a caudal block was administered using 0.5 ml/kg of 0.125% bupivacaine under ultrasound guidance. The primary outcome of the study was total analgesic consumption; the secondary outcomes were pain scores and time to first analgesic administration. Pain severity was evaluated using FLACC and Wong-Baker scores at 0, 1, 4, and 24 h. RESULTS A total of 120 patients, 40 patients in each group, were included in the study. A significant difference was detected among all 3 groups in the Wong-Baker pain score (24th hour) (P<0.001). The FLACC and Wong-Baker pain scores did not differ significantly in the other time frames. The time of the first rescue analgesia and the total amount of analgesic taken in the first 24 h were the same for both groups (P=0.408 and P=0.238). CONCLUSIONS The addition of paracetamol or meperidine to caudal block does not enhance the quality of analgesia.

Intrapartum care

This guideline covers the care of women and their babies during labour and immediately after birth. It focuses on women who give birth between 37 and 42 weeks of pregnancy ('term'). The guideline helps women to make informed choices about where to have their baby and about their care in labour. It also aims to reduce variation in aspects of care.

Adequate Anesthesia and More Effective Analgesia by Adjusted Doses of Bupivacaine during Cesarean Section: A Randomized Double-blind Clinical Trial.

Background: Several adjuvants, added to local anesthetics, were suggested to induce an ideal regional block with high-quality analgesia. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the particular blocking properties of low-dose bupivacaine in combination with meperidine and fentanyl in spinal anesthesia during Cesarean sections. Methods: A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted at Hafez Hospital affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (Shiraz, Iran) from February 2015 to February 2016. A total of 120 pregnant women, who underwent spinal anesthesia during elective Cesarean section were enrolled in the study. Based on block-wise randomization, the patients were randomly assigned to three groups, namely "B" group received 2 mL bupivacaine 0.5% (10 mg), "BM" group received 8 mg bupivacaine and 10 mg meperidine, and "BF" group received 8 mg bupivacaine and 15 µg fentanyl intrathecally. The block onset, the duration of analgesia, and the time of discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) were all assessed. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21, and P<0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The mean duration of motor blocks in the B group (150 min) were significantly higher than the BM (102 min) and BF (105 min) groups (P<0.0001). In both the BM and BF groups, the duration of sensory and motor blocks was the same. The length of stay in the PACU was significantly longer in the B group (P<0.001) than the BM and BF groups. When meperidine or fentanyl was added to bupivacaine, the duration of the analgesia lengthened (P<0.001). Conclusion: Intrathecal low-dose spinal anesthesia induced by bupivacaine (8 mg) in combination with meperidine and/or fentanyl for Cesarean section increased maternal hemodynamic stability, while ensuring effective anesthetic conditions, extending effective analgesia, and reducing the length of stay in PACU.Trial Registration Number: IRCT2015013119470N14.

Effectiveness of Nitrous Oxide versus Pethidine/Midazolam for Pain Relief in Minor Gynecological Operative Procedures: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Aim and Objective: To compare the analgesic effectiveness of the patient-controlled inhaled nitrous oxide (Entonox®) with intravenous opioids (pethidine/midazolam) in reducing pain during minor gynecological operative procedures, including manual vacuum aspiration (MVA), fractional curettage and dilatation and curettage. Materials and Methods: Patients undergoing minor gynecological procedures from August 2021 to December 2022 were randomized to receive nitrous oxide or intravenous pethidine (50-75 micrograms) plus midazolam (2 mg). Pain scores during and post-procedure, satisfaction level, and side effects were assessed and compared. Results: A total of 106 patients met the inclusion criteria, including 53 in the pethidine/midazolam group and 53 in the nitrous oxide group. Baseline characteristics were comparable (p-value > 0.05). Pain scores during, immediately and 30 min after procedures were not significantly different in two groups (4.94 ± 3.15, 2.74 ± 2.57, 1.58 ± 2.13 vs. 5.47 ± 2.80, 2.98 ± 2.70, 1.64 ± 2.70; p-value: 0.174, 0.634, 0.889, for pethidine/midazolam vs. nitrous oxide group, respectively. Satisfaction scores were comparable in both groups (p-value > 0.05). However, the rate of side effects was significantly lower in the nitrous oxide group (3.8% vs. 28.3%; p-value 0.001). Additionally, the discharge scores showed a significantly faster recovery time in the nitrous oxide group at 60 and 90 min after the procedure; median (IQR): 10 (9-10) vs. 9 (8-10) and 10 (10-10) vs. 10 (8.5-10); p-value 0.002 and 0.029, respectively). Conclusions: Nitrous oxide is as effective as pethidine/midazolam for pain relief in minor gynecological operative procedures but associated with significantly lower side effects and significantly faster recovery time.

The efficacy of topical sucralfate in improving pain and wound healing after haemorrhoidectomy procedure: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression of randomised clinical trials.

Pain and wound after haemorrhoidectomy constantly bothered the patient's convenience. Recurrently, topical sucralfate is used to treat excoriations and burns. It is considered to enhance epidermal growth and tissue granulation, thus, alleviating patients' problems. This study evaluated topical sucralfate's feasibility, safety, and superiority after haemorrhoidectomy. We searched randomised controlled trial (RCT) studies in PubMed, Google Scholar, Europe PMC, and ClinicalTrials.gov until March 29th, 2022. We investigated the influence of topical sucralfate on pain score postoperatively (24 hours, 7 days, and 14 days), pethidine usage, diclofenac usage, and wound healing rate compared to placebo. This study was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. This study sorted the final six studies with 439 patients underwent haemorrhoidectomy. Topical sucralfate demonstrated significant outcomes on VAS 24 hours post-operative [Std. Mean Difference -1.00 (95% CI -1.70, -0.31), P = .005], VAS 7 days post-operative [Std. Mean Difference -2.29 (95% CI -3.34, -1.25), P < .0001], VAS 14 days post-operative [Std. Mean Difference -1.88 (95% CI -2.74, -1.01), P < .0001], pethidine usage within 24 hours post-operative [Std. Mean Difference -0.62 (95% CI -0.96, -0.27), P = .0004], diclofenac usage 7 days post-operative [Std. Mean Difference -1.76 (95% CI -2.61, -0.92), P < .0001], diclofenac usage 14 days post-operative [Std. Mean Difference -1.64 (95% CI -2.38, -0.91), P < .0001], and wound healing rate at 28-day post-operative [RR 1.45 (95% CI 1.25-1.68), P < .00001]. Topical sucralfate alleviated pain, improved wound healing, and minimised the usage of pethidine and diclofenac compared to placebo.

Intra-articular remifentanil on postoperative pain in knee arthroscopic surgery; a double blind randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the efficacy of intra-articular remifentanil in relieving postoperative pain after knee arthroscopy. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind randomized clinical trial study on 60 patients. Patients were divided into two equal groups. The control group received 25 ml of intra-articular normal saline, and the intervention group received 200 µg of remifentanil dissolved in 25 ml of saline. We evaluated at rest postoperative pain at 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h after the surgery using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Patients with VAS scores of 4 or more received meperidine (pethidine). The first time meperidine was requested and the total amount of meperidine consumed was recorded. RESULTS: Out of 60 patients, 49 were male (81.6%), and the mean age of participants was 32.71 (7.02) years. An hour after the surgery, the control group showed a mean VAS score of 8.66 (1.26), and decreased to 2.53 (1.67) at the end of 24 h. The intervention group started with a mean VAS score of 2.23 (1.81) and ended at 0.10 (0.305). All patients in the control group and 11 (36.7%) patients in the intervention group asked for analgesics during follow-up. The mean total meperidine dose in the control and intervention groups was 108.33 (23.97) mg and 13.33 (19.40) mg, respectively (P < 0.001; 95% confidence interval of the difference 83.72 to 106.27). CONCLUSIONS: Intra-articular remifentanil may decrease postoperative pain and analgesic requirements in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy.

Role Of Granisetron In Minimising Use Of Meperidine As A Rescue Drug For Post Spinal Shivering.

BACKGROUND: Shivering is one of the most common adverse outcomes associated with the administration of spinal anaesthesia, which, when clinically relevant, leads to numerous detrimental effects on the human body. Hence, its management becomes imperative. Meperidine, an opioid analgesic, is the drug of choice for this condition. However, the use of meperidine is controversial, as it carries the devastating adverse effect of respiratory depression. We explored the role of granisetron, a 5HT3 antagonist and a commonly used antiemetic premedication, in minimising the incidence of post-spinal shivering and decreasing the use of meperidine as a rescue drug. METHODS: Overall, 160 parturient patients, between the ages 18-50, undergoing uncomplicated, elective caesarean section, were enrolled in the study, and randomized into two groups with 80 participants each: Group A received 3ml of normal saline, and Group B was administered 3 mg granisetron,15 minutes before spinal anaesthesia institution. Incidence of clinically relevant shivering (score of 3 or more) was noted, and it was recorded whether meperidine was used or not. RESULTS: 67.5% of participants in Group A, and 32.5% of patients in Group B, experienced clinically relevant shivering, with 62.5% of patients in Group A and 28.75% in Group B warranting the use of meperidine. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of incidence of clinically relevant shivering, and meperidine consumption (p-value <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Premedication with 3 mg granisetron effectively attenuates the occurrence of post-spinal shivering and, hence, lowers the requirement of meperidine as rescue medication.

Comparison of analgesic consumption of hemophilic and non-hemophilic patients in knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Hemophilia is a rare hereditary bleeding disorder that develops as a result of factor VIII or IX deficiency. Long-term complications of hemophilia such as arthropathy, synovitis, and arthritis can lead to the development of recurrent chronic pain. Pain is therefore a critical aspect of hemophilia. The gold standard treatment for end-stage hemophilic knee arthropathy is total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The hypothesis of this study was that after knee replacement surgeries that cause severe post-operative pain, hemophilia patients with chronic analgesic consumption may experience higher levels of pain than non-hemophilic patients, and use more opioid and non-opioid drugs. METHODS: This retrospective study included 82 patients who were hemophilic and non-hemophilic TKA patients operated under general anesthesia. Seventy-three patients were evaluated and divided into two groups according to the diagnosis of hemophilia: 36 patients were investigated in the hemophilic group and 37 patients in the non-hemophilic group. RESULTS: Post-operative tramadol consumption (p=0.002) and pethidine consumption (p=0.003) were significantly higher in the group hemophilia. The length of stay in the hospital was also significantly longer in the hemophilic group (p=0.0001). CONCLUSION: In the light of these informations, we think that acute post-operative pain management of hemophilia patients should be planned as personalized, multimodal preventive, and pre-emptive analgesia.

A retrospective analysis of the impact of Michigan's opioid prescribing legislation on discharge opioid prescribing at a single institution.

This study sought to determine if there were any changes in opioid prescribing habits of providers at a single institution after the implementation of legislation to increase opioid prescribing regulations. Our study demonstrated a 39.5 percent decrease in overall morphine milligram equivalent (MME) prescribed the year after the laws took effect when compared with the year prior. It is clear that these laws have been effective in decreasing the number of opioids prescribed at discharge from Mercy Health Grand Rapids. INTRODUCTION: Opioid use disorder has become an epidemic with approximately 130 people dying every day in the United States due to prescription and illegal opioid overdoses. In December 2017, the Michigan legislature ratified a package of 10 acts to address a variety of problems through several layers of regulations including more restrictive prescribing rules, which took effect in June 2018. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of legislation on the opioid prescribing habits of providers who discharged patients from a community-based academic teaching hospital. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective cohort study was performed using data from a community-based academic teaching hospital with 303 beds, a medical ICU, labor and delivery unit, and a 42-room emergency department. All patients discharged from in-patient or observation status in the 12 months before and after June 1, 2018 were included. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was MMEs of opioids prescribed at discharge before (June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018) and after (June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019) legislation. Medications included morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, methadone, hydromorphone, tramadol, codeine, and meperidine. RESULTS: There were 17,227 patients discharged during the first 12-month period and 15,855 patients discharged in the second 12-month period. There were 14,064 new opioid prescriptions in total during these time periods. Total MME prescribed during the study period showed a 39.5 percent decrease from pre- (2,268,460 MME) to post-legislation (1,372,424 MME), while average MMEs/discharge significantly decreased (135.1 ± 321.2 vs. 87.6 ± 187.4; p < 0.001). Total pill/patch count decreased by almost 40 percent. For patients who were prescribed opioids, average MME/discharge showed significant decline after legislation implementation (309.6 ± 427.1 vs. 212.2 ± 242.1; p < 0.001). Average daily MME/patient prescribed an opioid remained similar between the time periods (52.4 ± 37.0 vs. 51.6 ± 35.0; p = 0.21). Significant reductions (p < 0.05) were seen in MMEs for each individual medication with the exception of acetaminophen-codeine and methadone. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Our results indicate that the legislation implemented in Michigan to regulate opioid prescriptions was associated with a reduction in opioids prescribed to patients discharged from a community-based academic teaching hospital.

Efficacy of a local anesthetic gel infusion kit for pain relief after minimally invasive colorectal surgery: an open-label, randomized clinical trial.

Continuous wound infusion with local anesthesia is an effective method for reducing postoperative pain after laparoscopic colorectal surgery. However, most subcutaneous local anesthesia is delivered through continuous injection, which can be inconvenient for patients. This study compared the effectiveness of postoperative pain relief from the application of a local poloxamer 407-based ropivacaine hydrogel (Gel) to the incision site with continuous infusion-type ropivacaine administration (On-Q) in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. This prospective, randomized, non-inferiority study included 61 patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery with an incision length of 3-6 cm. All 61 patients were randomly assigned to the Gel group (poloxamer 407-based 0.75% ropivacaine, 22.5 mg) or the On-Q group (0.2% ropivacaine, 4 mg/hour for two days). Postoperative analgesia was induced in all patients with intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA). The outcome measures, which were assessed for 72 h after surgery, included the total amount of fentanyl consumed via IV-PCA (primary endpoint), and the amount of rescue analgesia (pethidine) and postoperative pain intensity assessed using a numeric rating scale (NRS) [secondary endpoints]. The Gel was administered to 31 patients and On-Q was used for 30 patients. There was no significant difference in the total usage of fentanyl between the two groups (Gel group, 1623.98 mcg; On-Q group, 1595.12 mcg; P = 0.806). There was also no significant difference in the frequency of analgesic rescue medication use (P = 0.213) or NRS scores (postoperative 6 h, P = 0.860; 24 h, P = 0.333; 48 h, P = 0.168; and 72 h, P = 0.655) between the two groups. The Gel, which continuously delivers a local anesthetic to operative sites, can thus be considered an effective device for analgesia and pain relief for midline incisions in laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Inter-semispinal plane (ISP) block for postoperative analgesia following cervical spine surgery: A prospective randomized controlled trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the perioperative analgesic effects of the inter-semispinal plane (ISP) block in patients undergoing posterior cervical spine surgery. DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial. SETTING: Operating room and surgical ward. PATIENTS: 60 patients aged 18-60 years of either gender, ASA I-II, undergoing elective posterior cervical spine surgery. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned into a control group (general anesthesia only), ISP group received bilateral ultrasound guided ISP block at the level of C5 using 20 ml bupivacaine 0.25% on each side. MEASUREMENTS: Visual analog scale (VAS), intraoperative fentanyl and 24 h postoperative pethidine consumptions and time to first rescue analgesic request were documented. MAIN RESULTS: The median (quartiles) of 24 h postoperative rescue pethidine consumption was significantly lower in the ISP group [0 (0-46.25) mg] compared to that of the control group [143 (116.75-169.00) mg]; P < 0.001). VAS was significantly lower in the ISP group at 30 min, 1 h, 2 h,4 h, 6 h, 8 h and 12 h postoperative compared to control group (P < 0.05). At 18 and 24 h, VAS was not significantly different between groups. The median (quartiles) of intraoperative fentanyl consumption in the ISP group [0 (0-40.75) µg] was significantly lower compared to that of the control group [63.5 (39.5-90.25) µg]; P < 0.001]. The time to first rescue analgesic administration was significantly longer in the ISP group compared to the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Bilateral ultrasound-guided ISP block can provide decreased 24 h postoperative analgesic consumption as well as lower pain scores in the first 12 postoperative hours in patients undergoing posterior cervical spine surgery.

Evaluation of ultrasound guided erector spinae plane block efficacy on post operative pain in lumbar spine surgery: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Patients suffer notable levels of pain after lumbar spine surgery. The primary objective of this randomized clinical trial is to investigate the efficacy of erector spinae plane block (ESPB) on 24-h post-operative pain score of patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. Cumulative opioid consumption and intraoperative bleeding were assessed as well. METHODS: Adult patient candidates for elective lumbar spine surgery were randomly assigned to case (ESPB) and control (no ESPB) groups. The block was performed under ultrasound guidance in prone position after induction of general anesthesia. Both groups received the same anesthesia medication and technique. Post-operative pain score, number of patients requiring rescue analgesia (meperidine), total amount of post-operative rescue analgesic demand in the first 24 h, and intraoperative bleeding were recorded. To compare pain score variable in time span, the ANOVA repeated measure test was used. All the statistical tests were two tailed and p<0.05 considered as statistically significant. RESULTS: In all time intervals, pain score in case group was significantly lower than control group. In case group, eight patients demanded rescue analgesic (40%) which was significantly lower than that in control group (15 patients [75%]) (p=0.025). Total amount of meperidine consumption was 57.50±45.95 in control group and 22.50±32.34 in case group (p=0.01) which was higher in control group and statistically significant. CONCLUSION: ESPB reduces post-operative pain score and opioid consumption, while it does not affect intraoperative bleeding in lumbar spine surgery.

Analgesic Characteristics of Bupivacaine Alone and in Combination with Dexmedetomidine or Meperidine in Spinal Anesthesia during Cesarean Section: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial Study.

Background: Comparing bupivacaine's adjuvants in spinal anesthesia, we assessed the specific blocking characteristics and adverse effects of bupivacaine alone and in combination with dexmedetomidine or meperidine in spinal anesthesia during cesarean section. Methods: In this double-blind randomized clinical trial study, ninety pregnant women were divided into groups to receive 10 mg bupivacaine (group B), 10 mg bupivacaine with 5 µg dexmedetomidine (group BD), or 10 mg bupivacaine with 10 mg meperidine (group BM) intrathecal. Patients were assessed for the quality of analgesia during operations. Durations of sensory and motor blocks and anesthesia-related complications were analyzed using SPSS 21, and p values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The onset of sensory and motor blocks was essentially the same in all treated groups. Block regression time was significantly prolonged in the BD group compared to the B and BM groups (p < 0.001). The duration of analgesia was significantly longer in the BD and BM groups than in the B group (p < 0.001). The level of sedation in the BD group was higher than in the B group. Shivering occurred in 40% of patients in the B group, which was significantly more than that of the BD (16.6%) and BM (33.3%) groups. Itching happened in 33.3% of women in the BM group which was statistically more than that of the B (3.33%) and BD (0) groups. The incidence of adverse effects was the same in all groups. Conclusion: The combination of bupivacaine with dexmedetomidine significantly prolonged sensory and motor regression time and duration of analgesia.

Prevalence of opioid prescriptions in Taiwan (2008-2018).

BACKGROUND: Opioids are effective for severe pain; however, the safety issue is also a primary concern. To better understand the opioid use in Taiwan, we conducted this study. METHODS: Data on patients with opioid prescriptions, including morphine, fentanyl, pethidine, codeine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and buprenorphine were collected using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Database (NHID). RESULTS: Our analysis of opioid prescriptions from 2008 to 2018 in Taiwan indicated that (1) A slow increase in prevalence of opioid prescription was found during the study period. Among the drugs studied, morphine accounted for the majority of the prescriptions written, with a gradual increase annually. Pethidine prescriptions showed a significant and rapid decline over the years; (2) medical centers prescribed the largest number of opioids, followed by regional hospitals, local hospitals, and clinics; (3) the number of prescriptions per year per capita in cancer group was much higher than that in noncancer group. In noncancer group, most of the prescriptions were used in acute pain service (98.7%); and (4) use of opioids increased with age in both cancer and noncancer patients. CONCLUSION: The total number of opioid prescriptions in Taiwan gradually increased annually, among which morphine was the most commonly used opioid. Cancer patients consumed more opioid prescriptions than noncancer patients and most of the prescriptions in noncancer patients were used in acute pain service. The number of prescriptions increased with the age of the patients in both cancer and noncancer patients. The low prescription rate of opioids in chronic pain in Taiwan is not similar as those in high opioid-consuming countries, such as United States.

Comparison of dexmedetomidine and meperidine for the prevention of shivering following coronary artery bypass graft: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Shivering is a common complication in the postoperative period. The incidence of shivering has been reported to range from 5% to 65% under general anaesthesia and as 33% during epidural anaesthesia. Shivering can increase perioperative risk in patients. Both dexmedetomidine and meperidine are effective agents for the prevention of postanaesthetic shivering. However, few studies have compared the anti-shivering effects of different agents following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). This study aims to compare the effects of dexmedetomidine and meperidine on the incidence of shivering in patients undergoing CABG. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A total of 180 patients aged 18-75 years, with an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade of II-IV, undergoing elective CABG will be enrolled and randomly assigned to the dexmedetomidine, meperidine and control groups (placebo) in an intended 1:1:1 allocation ratio. The patients will be followed up for 7 days after surgery. The primary outcome is the incidence of shivering within 24 hours postoperatively. The secondary outcomes are the number of remedial drugs used after surgery, the incidence of postoperative hypotension and bradycardia, sedation scores, endotracheal extubation time, intensive care unit length of stay, incidence of postoperative delirium within 7 days after surgery, incidence of postoperative arrhythmias, incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting, average hospital length of stay and mortality rate 30 days after surgery. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University on 20 January 2021 (YXLL-KY-2021(002)) and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. The results of this study will be presented at national and international scientific meetings and conferences. We plan to publish the data in peer-reviewed international scientific journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04735965.

Different interventions for preventing postoperative catheter-related bladder discomfort: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Catheter-related bladder discomfort (CRBD) is a common complication of intraoperative urinary catheterization. Various studies have evaluated the efficacy of different interventions in postoperative CRBD. The present review was performed to assess the efficacy of these interventions. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) databases were systematically searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of different drugs for the prevention of postoperative CRBD. This review evaluated the incidence and severity of CRBD after different interventions at 0, 1, 2, and 6 h postoperatively. RESULTS: Forty-five studies including 31 different drugs were analyzed. Eleven drugs were investigated in more than two RCTs, of which dexmedetomidine, gabapentin, tolterodine, tramadol, ketamine, nefopam, oxybutynin, pregabalin, and pudendal nerve block (PNB) generally showed significantly higher efficacy than controls postoperatively. Solifenacin only showed significant efficacy compared with the control at 0 h, and intravenous lidocaine only showed significant efficacy compared with the control at 6 h. There were insufficient trials to draw conclusions regarding atropine, butylscopolamine, chlorpheniramine, clonidine, darifenacin, diphenhydramine, glycopyrrolate, intravesical bupivacaine, ketamine-haloperidol, pethidine-haloperidol, ketorolac, lidocaine-prilocaine cream, magnesium, hyoscine n-butyl bromide, oxycodone, paracetamol, parecoxib, trospium, resiniferatoxin, or amikacin. However, all but pethidine-haloperidol and chlorpheniramine showed some efficacy at various time points compared with controls. CONCLUSION: This review suggests that dexmedetomidine, gabapentin, tolterodine, tramadol, ketamine, nefopam, oxybutynin, pregabalin, and PNB are effective in preventing postoperative CRBD. Considering the efficacy and adverse effects of all drugs, dexmedetomidine and gabapentin were ranked best.

Entonox® versus Pethidine in Labor Pain Relief: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Pain relief during labor is a part of standard care in modern obstetrics. Several modalities used for pain relief have their own disadvantages and benefits in terms of side effects, effectiveness, availability, and satisfaction. The objectives of this study are primarily to compare the effectiveness and patients' satisfaction for pain relief during labor between pethidine and inhaled 50% nitrous oxide (Entonox®). METHODS: Laboring women at 37-41 + 6 weeks of gestation were randomly allocated to receive pethidine (50 mg intravenously) or Entonox® for reducing labor pain. Pain scores were evaluated at 0, (baseline), 30, 60, 90, and 120 min after initiation, using the visual analog scale (VAS) and also satisfaction score after delivery using the verbal rating scale (VRS). The secondary outcomes were also assessed, including APGAR scores, labor course, side effects, and cesarean section rate. RESULTS: A total of 136 laboring women underwent randomization into two groups, but only 58 and 65 in the pethidine group and the Entonox® group were available for analysis. The median pain scores at baseline, 30, 60, and 90 min were comparable between both groups (p-value > 0.05); however, pain score at 120 min in the pethidine group was significantly higher (p-value: 0.038). The median of satisfaction score was significantly higher in the Entonox® group (4 vs. 3; p-value 0.043). All of the secondary outcomes were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Both have comparable effectiveness, but Entonox® has a higher satisfaction score. Entonox® could be an alternative to pethidine for reducing labor pain, because of its efficacy, ease for self-adjustment for satisfaction, and no serious effects on the labor course and newborns.