Assessment of postoperative pain: impact of clinical experience and professional role

Background: Unrelieved postoperative pain is still reported to be a rather common clinical problem which may be related to inadequate routines for pain assessment. Therefore, the aim of the study was to describe strategies used by experienced and less experienced nurses and physicians in their assessment of postoperative pain and to relate different approaches, clinical experience, and professional role to the accuracy of the pain ratings.
Methods: Data collection was based on repeated interviews with nurses (n=30) and physicians (n=30) in connection with clinical pain assessments (n=180) including VASscoring
Results: Commonly used strategies in the pain assessment were: - how the patient looks, - what the patient says, - the manner of talking, and - past experience of similar circumstances. The mean VAS-score given by the patients (6.1±21.1) was significantly (P<0.001) higher than that rated by the staff members (4.9±21.2). Nurses as well as physicians overestimated low and underestimated high levels of pain indicated by the patients. The accuracy of the ratings by nurses, especially by more experienced ones (≤10 years in nursing), was found to be less precise than that of physicians. The pain assessment of these very experienced nurses was characterized by a systematic underestimation.
Conclusions: The present study emphasizes a need for definition of more precise strategies for clinical postoperative pain assessment which better take into consideration the pain experiences and needs of individual patients     

Bilateral continuous paravertebral block used for postoperative analgesia in an infant having bilateral thoracotomy

We describe the successful postoperative pain management in an 11-month-old infant who underwent bilateral thoracotomy, using continuous infusions of bupivacaine into two directly placed paravertebral catheters. Haemodynamic parameters and pain scores were measured 1–2 h for 60 h while the infusions were continued and, intermittently, blood samples were taken for subsequent measurement of serum bupivacaine concentrations. The technique provided effective pain relief and the infant required no other analgesia postoperatively. There were no adverse haemodynamic consequences or complications relating to either catheter placement or drug infusions. Serum concentrations of bupivacaine remained below toxic levels throughout the study period, though accumulation did occur.     

Remote subarachnoid haemorrhage in the posterior fossa following supratentorial surgery

Summary Haemorrhage in regions remote from the site of following intracranial operations is rare, but they do occur. We performed supratentorial craniotomy on 639 patients between the time of introduction of computed tomography (CT) for clinical use in 1983 and June 1992; subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) in the posterior fossa occurred postoperatively in six of these cases. These included four patients with tumours in the sellar region, one with an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) and one who underwent superficial temporal artery (STA)-middle cerebral artery (MCA) anastomosis. The ages of the six patients ranged from 17–72 years.Haemorrhage occurred on the day of operation in one case and was detected on CT examination on the day following surgery in the remaining five cases. Of three patients with disturbance of consciousness, two underwent suboccipital craniectomy for reduction of intracranial pressure, while one received barbiturate therapy and later underwent cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt surgery. No special treatment was necessary for the remaining three patients with less serious lesions. Five of the six patients ultimately recovered their pre-operative neurological status apart from the primary diseases.Factors inducing such haemorrhages seem likely to include displacement of the cerebellum by reduced CSF pressure during and after operations, and stretching and tearing of the veins and venules in the sulci of the tentorial surface of the cerebellum. Consideration should therefore be given to the maintenance of an appropriate CSF pressure during operation; this is particularly important in elderly patients and those with an atrophied cerebral cortex.     

654─2在小儿急性脑水肿及中枢性呼吸衰竭中的应用探讨

感染性脑水肿病儿在感染得到有效控制，应用654—2（山莨菪碱）后未再用脱水剂，笔者认为．654—2具有解除脑血管痉挛及微循环障碍的作用。急性脑水肿在脱水剂应用后，用654—2有利于脑水肿液的吸收和回流。目前，治疗小儿捂热综合征（IMS）之细胞内水肿仍没有有效的方法，研究结果表明654—2能改善脑细胞供氧．其还能通过解除呼吸中枢血管痉挛而治疗中枢性呼吸衰竭。     

Should nitrous oxide be discontinued before desflurane after anaesthesia with desflurane/N2O?

Background : The appearance of hypoxaemia immediately after anaesthesia with nitrous oxide may be partially explained by diffusion hypoxia. This study was undertaken to evaluate circulatory and respiratory variables during emergence after desflurane/nitrous oxide anaesthesia, and whether there are any differences depending on which gas is discontinued first. Methods : 20 patients were studied after gynaecological laparoscopic surgery. The depth of anaesthesia was reduced 10 min prior to the emergence by stopping the administration of one of the two inhalational agents. Desflurane was discontinued first in Group 1, nitrous oxide in Group 2. Ventilation was controlled with E'C0₂ maintained at 5% until the administration of the second anaesthetic gas was discontinued. Thereafter, the patients breathed spontaneously. Results : The PaC0₂ at which the respiratory drive reappeared after controlled normoventilation was similar in both groups, 6.1–6.5 kPa, and extubation was performed after 10–11 min. At extubarion, the end–tidal C0₂ and total MAC were similar in the groups, about 6.2 vol% and 0.16, respectively. Mean arterial blood pressure was significantly higher in Group 1. The cardiac output increased in both groups from about 6 1/min at the conclusion of anaesthesia to 9.0 and 7.6 1/min at 15 min in the recovery period. End–tidal O₂ decreased and CO₂ increased in both groups during the first 10 min in the recovery period. pH was reduced at 15 and 30 min in both groups. Conclusion : Irrespective of which agent was discontinued first, there was an increase in cardiac output, decrease in oxygenation and a modest acidosis in the first 30–min recovery period. The only significant difference between the groups was in mean arterial blood pressure in the early emergence phase with a greater MAP when N₂O had been used until the conclusion of anaesthesia.     

An audit of the safety of an acute pain service

We audited and analysed the adverse effects and safety of postoperative pain management on 2509 consecutive patients under care of the Acute Pain Service at a tertiary referral teaching hospital over a 32-month period. Our standard respiratory monitoring consisted of continuous pulse oximetry, hourly respiratory rate counting, sedation scoring and intermittent arterial blood gas sampling. This protocol was reliable and detected six episodes of bradypnoea, 13 of hypercapnia and 23 of oxygen desaturation occurring in 39 patients (1.8% of all spontaneously breathing patients) . Two patients required naloxone injection and none had long-term sequelae. Hypotension due to epidural bupivacaine 0.0625% and fentanyl 3.3 μg.ml⁻¹ infusion occurred in four patients (1.2%), all with a sensory block higher than T₅. They readily responded to fluid infusion and ephedrine (two patients). Postoperative nausea or vomiting occurred in 723 (28.8%) and 380 (15.1%) patients, respectively. Odds ratio analysis showed that the risk factors for postoperative nausea and vomiting were: female gender, gynaecological operations, nongeriatric patients and systemic analgesia. Postoperative nausea and vomiting decreased analgesic efficacy by discouraging the use of patient-controlled analgesia and was regarded as equally distressing as pain. Other side-effects included: pruritus in 182 patients; dizziness in 333 and lower limb weakness in 73 (21.2% of patients receiving epidural local anaesthetics). It is concluded that a standard monitoring and management protocol, an experienced nursing team and reliable Acute Pain Service coverage is mandatory for the safe use of modern analgesic techniques.     

静脉注射丙种球蛋白治疗幼年大鼠内毒素性脑水肿机理研究

目的：研究自由基在幼年鼠内毒素性脑水肿发病机理中的作用。方法：65只幼鼠，随机分为对照组（C组），单纯内毒素组（LPS组），静注免疫球蛋白治疗组（IVIG组）。于处理后2、6、12、24h（每时间点6－9只）取脑组织，用常规生化方法测定脑组织匀浆中丙二醛（MDA）、总巯基（TSH）和非蛋白巯基（NPSH）含量。结果：LPS组脑含水量、EB含量及MDA含量均明显高于C组，而TSH和NPSH含量明显低于C组（P＜0．05或P＜0．01）；IVIG组脑含水量、EB含量及MDA含量与LPS组相比则有明显降低，以6h更明显（P＜0．05或P＜0．01），而TSH和NPSH含量分别在各时间点上比LPS组明显增高，但IVIG对NPSH含量影响与LPS组相比无显著差异（P＞0．05），且各时间点与C组相比仍低（P＜0．05或P＜0．01）。结论：自由基参与了幼年鼠内毒素性脑水肿的发生发展，初步证实IVIG通过影响自由基，具有治疗幼年鼠内毒素性脑水肿的作用。     

41例气管切开手术后护理体会

目的:总结气管切开术后护理体会.方法:探讨41例气管切开术后患者的心理护理、并发症的防范和护理要点.结果:2例死于各自原发病,39例患者在术后8～128天内顺利拔管.结论:规范的术后护理对保证气管切开术后效果起着至关重要的作用.     

诊治失误致阑尾切除术后再手术33例临床分析

目的　探讨阑尾炎近期再手术的原因、手术方法及预防措施。方法　对我院 1989年12月至 2 0 0 2年 12月间收治的阑尾炎近期再手术 3 3例进行回顾性分析。结果　术前及术中误漏诊 17例 ,其中结肠肿瘤 8例 ,横结肠重复畸形及炎性肉芽肿各 2例 ,盲肠游动症及十二指肠升段狭窄各 1例。胃后壁穿孔、腹部卒中及急性胰腺炎各 1例并因病情发展而死亡。术中操作不当 7例。其中系膜血管出血、血肿破溃 ,网膜、阑尾残端及切口引流处皮下出血各 1例 ,残株炎 1例 ,腹腔遗留坏死组织及粪石 1例。术后并发症 9例 ,盆腔脓肿 ,阑尾残端粪瘘 ,腹壁切口疝及结核性腹壁窦道各 2例 ,肌间脓肿 1例。结论　正确诊断 ,充分准备 ,仔细操作 ,严密观察 ,及时处置 ,常能避免或减少阑尾炎近期再手术的发生。     

Prediction of severe postoperative complications in patients admitted to neuroanaesthesia

The purpose of this study was to identify factors which will predict the risk of severe postoperative complications in individual patients in a neurosurgical unit. Eleven risk factors were investigated in 363 neurosurgical patients, of whom 40 (11%) developed postoperative complications requiring mechanical ventilation for more than 24 h in an intensive care unit, 16 were found to be severely disabled or in a vegetative state at follow-up 1 month after admission, and 28 patients died. By applying stepwise, logistic regression analysis to the patient's data, we were able to select two significant risk variables, i.e. the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 8 or less preoperatively and emergency anaesthesia. The presence of GCS 8 or less on the consciousness scale was associated with postoperative complications in approximately 40% of the cases. Emergency patients with severe neurological damage had the greatest risk of postoperative complications (93%). Fatal outcome for patients with postoperative complications was seen in 40% of the cases.