The effect of dextromethorphan, alone or in combination with ibuprofen, on postoperative pain after minor gynaecological surgery

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies have demonstrated that peripheral tissue injury may lead to hyperexcitability of nociceptive neurones in the dorsal horn, in part mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor mechanisms. Sensitisation of dorsal horn neurones may be an important contributor to postoperative pain. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of the NMDA-receptor antagonist dextromethorphan on pain after minor gynaecological surgery, and to evaluate a potential additive effect with ibuprofen. METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 100 patients scheduled for elective termination of pregnancy were randomised to receive placebo, oral ibuprofen 400 mg, oral dextromethorphan 120 mg, or a combination of ibuprofen 400 mg and dextromethorphan 120 mg, 1 h before surgery. Pain and analgesic requirements were assessed 0.5, 1 and 2 h after operation. RESULTS: We observed no effect of dextromethorphan on visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores or analgesic consumption, and no additive or synergistic analgesic effects between ibuprofen and dextromethorphan. Ibuprofen reduced pain scores compared with placebo, and analgesic consumption compared with both placebo and dextromethorphan. The combination of ibuprofen and dextromethorphan increased preoperative nausea compared with both placebo and ibuprofen, whereas no statistically significant side effects were observed with dextromethorphan alone. CONCLUSION: No analgesic effects of oral dextromethorphan 120 mg on pain after surgical termination of labour, and no additive analgesic effects when combined with ibuprofen 400 mg, were observed. Ibuprofen reduced both VAS pain scores and analgesic consumption compared with placebo.     

Comparative effects of intravenous ketorolac and pethidine on perioperative analgesia and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) for paediatric strabismus surgery

BACKGROUND: Corrective strabismus surgery is associated with moderate pain and a very high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Ketorolac tromethamine, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, is a popular analgesic in adults. There are only limited published data on the use of intravenous ketorolac for paediatric analgesia perioperatively. This study evaluated and compared the emetic and analgesic effect of ketorolac with pethidine and its suitability for this kind of surgery. METHODS: Following institutional ethics committee approval and parental consent, 52 ASA class I children of age 2.5 to 15 yr were randomised to receive either ketorolac 0.9 mg kg-1 or pethidine 0.5 mg kg-1 given intravenously (i.v.). A blinded observer assessed recovery by Steward's method immediately after arrival at the post anaesthesia care unit (PACU), pain by validated Objective Pain Score (OPS) at 0 h, 1/2 h and 1 h after arrival at the PACU and PONV by Numeric Rank Score at specified time intervals. RESULTS: There were no differences in demographic data, anaesthesia time or surgery duration. Recovery scores, OPS and postoperative analgesic requirement were similar in both groups. PONV at various time intervals for the first 24 h, occurred more frequently in the pethidine group as compared to the ketorolac group (P < 0.001) There were no side effects observed with either drug. CONCLUSION: Ketorolac in a dose of 0.9 mg kg-1 i.v. at the induction of anaesthesia is as effective as pethidine 0.5 mg kg-1 i.v. as an analgesic and is associated with significantly less PONV.     

Additive analgesic effect of codeine and paracetamol can be detected in strong, but not moderate, pain after Caesarean section

Background : A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled single oral dose study was done in order to examine whether codeine has an additive analgesic effect to that of paracetamol for moderate and strong postoperative pain after abdominal surgery. The maximum recommended single dose of paracetamol 1000 mg (Paracet®) was compared with a combination of a submnximal dose of paracetamol 800 mg plus codeine 60 mg (Paralgin forte®) and placebo for pain relief after Caesarean section in 125 patients. Methods : Visual analogue pain intensity score (VAS 0–100 mm) and categorical pain relief score were recorded for 6 hours after the study drug intake. The main efficacy variables analyzed were: pain intensity difference and summed pain intensity differences during the first 3 and 6 h after study drug intake, total pain relief during the first 3 and 6 h, global evaluation score at the end of the observation period, and time to rescue analgesic. Results : Because of protocol violations, 17 patients were excluded from the analysis of effects. Among the 108 patients included in the analysis of analgesic effect, 49 patients had moderate baseline pain (VAS between 40 and 60 mm on a 100 mm scale), and 59 patients had strong baseline pain (VAS more than 60 mm). In patients with strong baseline pain, statistically highly significant differences were documented in efficacy variables between the active drugs and placebo and between the two active drugs. However, in patients with moderate baseline pain, no differences were found between the study drugs in any of the analgesic efficacy variables. Conclusion : This study thus confirms that codeine has additive analgesic effect to paracetamol in pain after surgery. Our results show the importance of initial pain intensity in postoperative assessment of analgesic drugs. Assay-sensitivity and test power are increased by selecting patients with sufficiently high initial pain intensity and by comparing groups of patients with identical surgery and similar demographic variables.     

Postoperative pain relief by topical lidocaine in the surgical wound of hysterectomized patients

Background: To improve postoperative analgesia, local anesthetics have been administered perioperatively as infiltration or as aerosol in the surgical area. A previous study showed good analgesic effects by topical lidocaine in the wound in minor extraabdominal surgery (herniorraphy), while the same treatment in minor lower laparotomies did not improve postoperative analgesia. The present study investigated the effect of topical wound anesthesia using lidocaine aerosol on postoperative pain following major lower abdominal surgery.
Methods: Postoperative pain and analgesic requirements were studied in a double-blind randomized trial including 30 hysterectomized patients. Patients were randomized to receive single wound treatment either with lidocaine aerosol 500 mg (100 mg/ml; Xylocain® aerosol, ASTRA, Sweden) (n=15) or placebo aerosol (n=15). Postoperative pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS). Requirements of opiate analgesics (buprenorphine) after surgery were monitored.
Results: Lidocaine aerosol induced a significantly ( P <0.001) better analgesia at rest (VAS) and a significant ( P <0.001) reduction in postoperative requirements of buprenorphine during the first 24 hours after surgery compared to placebo aerosol. Differences between the groups in pain scores (VAS) and buprenorphine requirements during the second postoperative day were not significant. Mean pain scores upon mobilization 24 h after surgery were significantly lower in the group receiving lidocaine aerosol ( P <0.05). The plasma lidocaine concentration 4 h after the administration of lidocaine was well below toxic level and plasma lidocaine was detectable 48 h postoperatively. No drug-related side effects were reported.
Conclsuion: A single dose of lidocaine aerosol topically administered in the surgical wound of hysterectomy patients improved analgesia during the first postoperative day with minimal risk of side effects.     

PROSPECT guidelines for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery: a systematic review and procedure-specific postoperative pain management recommendations

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery has become increasingly popular due to faster recovery times and reduced postoperative pain compared with thoracotomy. However, analgesic regimens for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery vary significantly. The goal of this systematic review was to evaluate the available literature and develop recommendations for optimal pain management after video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. A systematic review was undertaken using procedure-specific postoperative pain management (PROSPECT) methodology. Randomised controlled trials published in the English language, between January 2010 and January 2021 assessing the effect of analgesic, anaesthetic or surgical interventions were identified. We retrieved 1070 studies of which 69 randomised controlled trials and two reviews met inclusion criteria. We recommend the administration of basic analgesia including paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or cyclo-oxygenase-2-specific inhibitors pre-operatively or intra-operatively and continued postoperatively. Intra-operative intravenous dexmedetomidine infusion may be used, specifically when basic analgesia and regional analgesic techniques could not be given. In addition, a paravertebral block or erector spinae plane block is recommended as a first-choice option. A serratus anterior plane block could also be administered as a second-choice option. Opioids should be reserved as rescue analgesics in the postoperative period.     

A qualitative systematic review of morphine treatment in children with postoperative pain

BACKGROUND: Postoperative pain management in children is often empirical rather than evidence based. Morphine is the pharmacological treatment most widely used and although considered safe for children, adequate scientific data on morphine's pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety are lacking. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the available literature examining different pediatric morphine regimens with respect to dosage, analgesic efficacy and incidence of side effects. METHODS: Thirty-six randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trials with 49 comparisons, including multiple dosage regimens and routes of administration were included. The primary outcome measures for analgesic efficacy (pain intensity, time to first analgesic request and need for rescue analgesics) together with the incidence of morphine-related side effects were evaluated qualitatively by significant difference (P < 0.05) as reported in the original investigations. RESULTS: Overall, significant improvements in the defined outcome measures on analgesic efficacy were only observed when morphine was compared with inactive control interventions. No relation between morphine dosage and analgesic efficacy was detected. The most common morphine-related side effects were vomiting and sedation, with significantly higher incidences observed after morphine administration in half of all comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: Although several factors may justify its use as first line therapy in many parts of the world, morphine alone is not the most suitable analgesic for postoperative pain in pediatric patients, as it does not have superior analgesic effect and a higher incidence of side effects compared with active control interventions. More standardized clinical trials with multimodal regimens as well as guidelines for evaluating pediatric medicines are desirable in the future.     

Comparison of ketorolac and morphine for postoperative pain after major surgery

This study was designed to determine the relative analgesic efficacy and safety of single intramuscular injections of ketorolac (10 mg or 30 mg) and morphine (10 mg) in patients of either sex with moderate to severe pain after major surgery. In a single-dose, randomised, double-blind study of parallel design, pain was assessed immediately before injection of test medication and at regular intervals for 8 h thereafter. One hundred and seventeen patients (109 undergoing cardiac surgery; 8 lung surgery) were randomized to one of the three treatment groups. Pain intensity was assessed using a 5-point verbal scale before administration of study drugs. Postadministration, at 30 min and hourly for 8 h, pain intensity and pain relief were assessed, again using the 5-point verbal scale. Additionally, as a measure of analgesia, forced expiratory volume (FEV1) was obtained in all patients. Vital signs including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, respiratory rate and blood gases (PaCO2) were recorded prior to and after study medication. Based on hourly pain intensity differences and hourly pain relief observations, ketorolac 10 mg was generally more effective than morphine 10 mg, and ketorolac 30 mg was generally more effective than ketorolac 10 mg. The results of this study show that ketorolac is an effective and safe (with regard to arterial pressure, blood gases and lung function) analgesic for relief of postoperative pain after major surgery in stable patients. No clinically significant adverse effects occurred during the study. One cannot exclude an influence on patients with organ system dysfunction or on parameters not measured in this study.     

Pain management after ambulatory surgery

Numerous studies have reported inadequate pain management after ambulatory surgery. Uncontrolled pain is associated with increased incidence of nausea, anxiety and delirium, prolonged postanesthesia care unit stay, delayed discharge from ambulatory facility, unanticipated hospital admissions and delayed resumption of normal activities. The management of pain after ambulatory surgery poses unique challenges because of the need to balance pain relief with concerns of side effects ans safety. The goal of pain management should be to minimize pain, not only at rest but also during mobilization. Preoperative education of patients regarding the modalities of pain treatment, the pain assessment tools and the degree of pain that they might expect is an important part of pain management. The preemptive and multimodal techniques provide more effective analgersia with reduced incidence of side effects. Local anesthetic techniques should be utilized whenever possible as they are simple, have a high success rate and a low incidence of compilations. Local anesthetic techniques administered before the initiation of the surgery may decrease anesthetic requirements, provide for an earlier recovery and decrease postoperative analgesic requirements. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs have opioid-sparing effects, which may reduce the incidence of opioid-related side effects. Pain after discharge from the ambulatory facility should be controlled with regular dosing with oral nonsteroidal antiiflammatory drugs and opioid analgesic combination. Oral medications should be administered as early as possible and before the reduction of analgesic effects of parenterally adminisitered drugs. It is important that oral medications are administered at regular intervals rather than on an 'as needed' basis. Regular dosing with pain medications provides superior analgesia as this prevents pain from becoming severe and decreases the incidence of breakthrough pain. Finally, adequate and appropriate application of currently available information and therapies would significantly improve postoperative pain management.     

Lack of postoperative pain relief after hysterectomy using preperitoneally administered bupivacaine

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is well known that wound infiltration with local anesthetic can reduce postoperative pain in various degrees and with very few side effects. A previous study showed better analgesic effect when local anesthetic was applied in the subfascial, rather than the subcutaneous, layer. The present study investigated the effect of frequent bolus injections of bupivacaine (15 mL 2.5 mg/mL) preperitoneally through catheters placed intraoperatively in women who had undergone hysterectomy. METHODS: Postoperative pain and analgesic requirements were studied in a double-blind randomized trial including 41 patients. During surgery, the patients were randomized to one of two groups, and the investigators were blinded. Prior to closure of the peritoneum, the surgeon placed a catheter between the muscle layer and the peritoneum on each side of the wound. One group (n = 22) received bupivacaine (15 mL 2.5 mg/mL) every 4 hours for 48 hours via each catheter starting in the operating room. The placebo group (n = 19) received saline in a like manner. Postoperative pain was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS) and verbal rating scale (VRS) twice a day for 2 days at rest and on movement. Requirements of supplementary analgesics were monitored, as was wound infection after discharge. RESULTS: Bupivacaine administered preperitoneally did not improve analgesia at rest, during coughing, or during mobilization compared with saline. No difference between the groups was found regarding analgesic requirements. No complications of postoperative wound healing or toxic side effects were seen. CONCLUSION: Bolus injections of bupivacaine through intraoperative placed catheters did not improve analgesia postoperatively compared with saline injections.     

Postoperative pain management—clinical practice is still not optimal

Major progress in clinical pain assessment and management has been achieved in the last decade. More effective analgesic drugs and improved techniques for pain management have been introduced. However, medical reports published during the last few years on postoperative pain management (POPM) indicate that moderate or even severe pain is still rather commonly experienced by surgical patients in the early postoperative period and that worst-pain-episodes may occur even in the late postoperative phase. Insufficient relief of postoperative pain seems a more common problem on surgical wards than on a postanaesthesia care unit (PACU). The aims of POPM are to inhibit autonomic trauma-induced nociceptive impulses that may result in functional disturbances of vital organs and thereby affect the incidence of potentially severe complications influencing clinical outcome. Considering that recent studies continue to show sub-optimal pain management despite the availability of effective drugs and analgesic techniques it must be considered essential to identify possible barriers to effective pain management in clinical practice so that necessary improvements in POPM routines can be carried out.     

Does tramadol wound infiltration offer an advantage over bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia in children following herniotomy?

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that tramadol is an effective analgesic. We aimed to compare postoperative analgesic effects of wound infiltration with tramadol (T) or bupivacaine (B) and intramuscular tramadol (I) after herniotomy in children. METHODS: In this study, 75 children were randomly assigned to group T, group B and group I. Wound infiltration was performed to the patients in group T (2 mg.kg-1 tramadol in 0.2 ml.kg-1 saline) and group B (0.2 ml.kg-1 0.25% bupivacaine) into the surgical incision. Twenty minutes before the end of the surgery 2 mg.kg-1 tramadol was injected i.m. in group I. Faces pain scale was used for assessing pain severity. Patients with pain score>2 were treated with paracetamol. The frequency of side effects and analgesic use were recorded. Patients were discharged on the next day. RESULTS: No side effects were recorded in any group. The pain scores of the patients at the first, fourth and eighth hours were significantly higher in group B and group I than group T (P<0.05). The pain scores of the patients at the first hour were significantly higher in group I compared with group B (P<0.05). Average time to first analgesic requirement was significantly longer in group T (6.72+/-4.09 h after herniotomy than both group I (4.49+/-3.9 h) and group B (6.04+/-3.7 h) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Wound infiltration with tramadol may be a good choice for postoperative analgesia in children having inguinal herniotomy.     

Should continuous rather than single-injection interscalene block be routinely offered for major shoulder surgery? A meta-analysis of the analgesic and side-effects profiles

Background

Major shoulder surgery is associated with moderate-to-severe pain, but consensus on the optimal analgesic approach is lacking. Continuous catheter-based interscalene block (CISB) prolongs the analgesic benefits of its single-injection counterpart (SISB), but concerns over CISB complications and difficulties in interpreting comparative evidence examining major and minor shoulder procedures simultaneously, despite their differences in postoperative pain, have limited CISB popularity. This meta-analysis evaluates the CISB analgesic role and complications compared with SISB for major shoulder surgery.

High post-operative pain scores despite multimodal analgesia in ambulatory anorectal surgery: a prospective cohort study

Background: Ambulatory surgery for anorectal procedures has become widely accepted. Recent reviews recommend a multimodal approach to pain management. However, these recommendations are largely based on single intervention studies. Our goal was to evaluate post-operative pain in patients receiving a multimodal analgesic regimen.

Methods: All patients undergoing an ambulatory anorectal procedure between December 2015 and September 2016 received a pain diary. Mean pain throughout the day and pain during defecation where recorded on day 0–14 and day 21 postoperatively using a numeric rating scale-11. Use of oral analgesics was also recorded.

Results: Forty-two patients completed the pain diary. The use of local anesthetic infiltration did not result in a significant difference in pain scores in this study. Patients who received written information on postoperative pain management and hygienic measures had higher intake of oral analgesics. Despite receiving multimodal analgesic treatment, patients undergoing surgery for hemorrhoids or anal fissures reported pain scores ≥4 and used analgesics longer.

Conclusion: A multimodal analgesic approach consisting of local anesthetic infiltration, multiple oral analgesics and written information seems to be insufficient for certain patient groups after ambulatory anorectal surgery. Especially patients undergoing surgery for hemorrhoids or an anal fissure should receive adequate analgesia. Pain during defecation is problematic and finding a solution for this problem remains challenging. Further research into the combined use of different analgesic modalities is recommended.     

Ibuprofen in the treatment of postoperative pain in small children. A randomized double–blindplacebo controlled parallel group study

The efficacy of ibuprofen as a pre–emptive analgesic for postoperative pain was investigated in 81 children in the age between one and four years subjected to elective surgery. The patients were randomized into two groups receiving rectally either ibuprofen 40 mgkg^-1 d^-1, divided into four equal doses, or placebo in a double blind manner. Additional pain relief was provided by morphine. In the recovery room ibuprofen provided superior pain relief during the first hour and significantly reduced the need of morphine. Heart rate and arterial blood pressure were lower in children who received ibuprofen, probably reflecting better analgesia. The side effects were mild and similar in both groups. We conclude that rectal ibuprofen is a safe analgesic in children in the age between 1 and 4 years and reduces the need of opioids for postoperative pain relief.     

Uso da buprenorfina transdérmica na dor aguda pós‐operatória: revisão sistemática

Background and objectivesPostoperative pain is still a major concern in several surgical procedures. Multimodal analgesia is best for postoperative pain management; however, opioid therapy is still the main treatment for pain after surgical procedures. Transdermal buprenorphine is a partial μ agonist opioid widely used for chronic pain syndromes, with limited evidence for acute postoperative pain. A systematic review of studies examining transdermal buprenorphine for acute pain management after surgery was conducted.ContentsData from PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL via EBSCOhost, and LILACS were reviewed, including randomized clinical trials that evaluated total postoperative pain, postoperative analgesic consumption, drug‐related side effects and patient satisfaction with analgesia regimen. Data from nine studies (615 patients) were included in this review. Most studies initiated transdermal buprenorphine use 6 to 48 hours before surgery, maintaining use from 1 to 8 days after the procedure. Most studies showed lower or similar postoperative pain scores, postoperative analgesic consumption and patient satisfaction comparing buprenorphine to placebo, tramadol, celecoxib, flurbiprofen and parecoxib. The incidence of side effects varied between studies, with most showing no increase in drug‐related side effects with buprenorphine use, except one study, which compared buprenorphine to oral tramadol, and one to transdermal fentanyl. However, most results were derived from evidence with an overall high or unclear risk of bias.ConclusionsAlthough more studies are necessary, initial results show that transdermal buprenorphine seems to be an effective and safe opioid choice for management of acute postoperative pain.     

Intramuscular low-dose ketamine versus pethidine for postoperative pain treatment after thoracic surgery

In a double-blind prospective study the effects of low-dose intramuscular ketamine (1 mg/kg) were compared to pethidine (1 mg/kg) in the treatment of pain after pulmonary surgery. Thirty patients were admitted to the study and postoperatively randomized to either a ketamine or a pethidine group. The analgesic effect was evaluated using a scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 denoted no pain and 10 severe pain. We did not find any significant difference between the analgesic effect of ketamine and pethidine; however, the duration of action of ketamine appeared to be slightly longer. Throughout the study PaCO2 was significantly lower in the ketamine group. PaO2 increased through the study in both groups and was significantly higher after 2 h. Heart rates increased significantly only in the pethidine group. Mean arterial pressures remained unchanged and the respiratory frequencies were similar in the two groups. The incidence of adverse reactions was low and not significantly different between the groups. The findings indicate that low-dose intramuscular ketamine is a potent analgesic for postoperative analgesia following thoracic surgery and that it has no respiratory depressive effect.     

Strategies for postoperative pain management

Despite advances in our understanding of the neurobiology of nociception, postoperative pain continues to be undertreated. There are many modalities that may provide effective postoperative analgesia, including systemic (e.g. opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents) and regional analgesic options. The particular modality or modalities utilized for a particular patient will depend on the risk-benefit profile and patient preferences. Ideally, analgesic options should be incorporated into a multimodal approach to facilitate patient recovery after surgery.     

Systemic adjunct analgesics for cesarean delivery: a narrative review

It is critical to adequately treat postoperative cesarean delivery pain. The use of parenteral or neuraxial opioids has been a mainstay, but opioids have side effects that can be troubling and the opioid crisis in the United States has highlighted the necessity to utilize analgesics other than opioids. Other analgesic options include neuraxial analgesics, nerve blocks such as the transversus abdominis plane block, and non-opioid parenteral and oral medications. The goal of this article is to review non-opioid systemic analgesic adjuncts following cesarean delivery, focusing on their efficacy and side effects as well as their impact on reduction of opioid requirements after surgery.     

Paracetamol 1 g given rectally at the end of minor gynaecological surgery is not efficacious in reducing postoperative pain

BACKGROUND: We studied the analgesic effects of 1 g paracetamol given rectally at the end of surgery in a prospective, randomised, double-blind study. METHODS: One hundred and forty ASA I-II women scheduled for elective termination of pregnancy under general anaesthesia were randomly allocated to receive paracetamol or placebo. All patients had standardised anaesthesia with propofol, fentanyl and oxygen in nitrous oxide. Postoperative pain was assessed by VAS score. RESULTS: We could find no difference regarding postoperative pain, need for analgesics or time to discharge between the groups. CONCLUSION: The routine use of 1 g paracetamol given rectally at the end of surgery after termination of pregnancy seems not to be justified.