Etodolac in the management of pain: A clinical review of a multipurpose analgesic

Etodolac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with analgesic properties. Its primary anti-inflammatory mechanism of action is through a selective effect on cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2). It is rapidly absorbed after oral administration, and maximum plasma concentration (C_max) is reached in 1-2 h, with an elimination half-life (t1/2 ) of 6-8 h. Etodolac has been widely applied in the treatment of inflammatory arthritides such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and gout and in osteoarthritis and has been shown to be efficacious and well tolerated. However, etodolac has other applications which rely primarily on its efficacy as an analgesic. In particular, etodolac has been evaluated in the treatment of a variety of different pain states. Etodolac has been observed to be efficacious in the treatment of acute pain following dental extraction, orthopaedic and urological surgery, and episiotomy, as well as in the treatment of pain due to acute sports injuries, primary dysmenorrhoea, tendonitis, bursitis, periarthritis, radiculalgia and low back pain. These studies indicate that etodolac is a multipurpose analgesic with many clinical applications in addition to its use in the treatment of inflammatory and degenerative forms of arthritis.     

Oligogenic determination of morphine analgesic magnitude: A genetic analysis of selectively bred mouse lines

Two ongoing selective breeding projects have produced mice that display divergent analgesic responses to morphine. These two projects have selected for similar phenotypes: high and low levorphanol analgesia (HAR/LAR lines; Portland, OR) and high and low swim stress-induced analgesia (HA/LA lines; Jastrzebiec, Poland). Evidence suggests genetic commonalities between mice of the two projects. Using a Mendelian breeding protocol, we have recently found that one or two genetic loci predominantly determine the high morphine analgesia exhibited by HA mice. In the present study we demonstrate that the differential morphine analgesia (5 mg/kg. i.p.) displayed by HAR and LAR mice is similarly oligogenic, predominantly determined by two unlinked loci. A complementation analysis, in which the analgesic responses to morphine of the recessive homozygotes of each project (HAR and HA) were compared to those of their hybrid offspring (HAR x HA), revealed that different genetic loci have been fixed in each project. An intriguing bimodal distribution was observed in the HAR x HA population: Some HAR x HA hybrids displayed greater morphine analgesia than either HAR or HA mice, whereas others displayed minimal analgesia. LAR x LA hybrids displayed less analgesia than either LAR or LA mice. The analgesic responses of HAR x LA and LAR x HA mice were comparable to those of their low-line parents. These findings indicate not only that different loci were responsible for producing high morphine responders in each selection project but that these distinct loci can interact synergistically to produce superhigh and superlow responders.     

肝部分移植术围手术期营养管理

目的：探讨肝部分移植术围手术期营养管理。方法：通过１例１０岁女性肝部分移植病人,介绍围手术期能量代谢的特点及营养支持方法。结果：术 后１周内采用以葡萄糖和蛋白质为主的完全肠外营养,２－３周内采用肠内营养结合肠外营养,术后第４周始则采用肠内营养。病人顺利恢复,现已生存１年余。结论：肝部分主围手术期的营养管理应根据病人肝功能恢复程度和有无并发症,采取灵活多变的营养方式,营养来源应以人血白蛋白为主,可少     

食管癌术后一次性硬膜外注射和肌肉注射镇痛法的比较

目的：确定硬膜外一次性镇痛法对食管癌病人术后的镇痛效果和减少并发症的意义。方法：９３ 例病人随机分成实验组（ Ｔ 组,５１ 例） 和对照组（ Ｃ 组,４２ 例） , Ｔ 组于手术结束缝合皮肤切口时经硬膜外导管于 Ｔ６ － ７ 水平注射吗啡１ ｍｇ 加１ ％ 普鲁卡因１０ ｍｌ, Ｃ 组用阿片类药物肌肉注射镇痛。结果： Ｔ 组病人术后疼痛明显减轻,各种并发症显著下降。结论：硬膜外一次性镇痛效果确切,操作方便,副作用少,对降低术后心肺并发症很有意义,尤其对年龄大、心肺功能差的病人较适合。     

麻黄素并吗啡硬膜外注射的术后镇痛效果

①目的　探讨麻黄素并吗啡硬膜外注射的术后镇痛效果。②方法　对１２６ 例泌尿外科开放手术后的病人进行间断硬膜外腔注射吗啡（２ｍ ｇ）、麻黄素（２０ｍ ｇ）,观察其镇痛效果,并与４０ 例单用吗啡（ ２ｍ ｇ）者进行对照。③结果　吗啡、麻黄素的镇痛作用强而持久,一次用药有效时间为（２８．４±３．５）ｈ,较对照组的（１８．１±２．６）ｈ 明显延长（ｔ＝ １７．１,Ｐ＜ ０．０１）。未见出现血压波动者。④结论　吗啡加麻黄素硬膜外腔注射是安全、长效的术后镇痛方法,特别适用于术后留置导尿或尿流改道的泌尿外科开放手术。     

Postoperative nausea and vomiting in children using patient-controlled analgesia: the effect of prophylactic intravenous dixyrazine

BACKGROUND: Although patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine provides a high degree of satisfactory postoperative analgesia in children, it is often associated with a high incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Our aim in this study was to evaluate the prophylactic effect of dixyrazine, a phenothiazine with proven anti-emetic properties. METHODS: The incidence of nausea and vomiting was studied in 60 children using PCA after major surgery. The patients were randomised to receive either dixyrazine 0.25 mg kg-1 or placebo on the induction of anaesthesia in a double-blind, placebo-controlled design. The anaesthetic technique was standardised. The PCA pump was programmed to deliver bolus doses of morphine of 20 micrograms kg-1 with a continuous background infusion of 8-10 micrograms kg-1 h-1. Nausea, vomiting, sedation and pain scores were noted every 3 h for a period of 24 h. RESULTS: The morphine consumption of morphine was the same in both groups. During the stay in the recovery room the incidence of vomiting was 3% in the dixyrazine group compared to 30% in the placebo group (P < 0.05). On the ward, 57% versus 83% of the children vomited (P < 0.05). Rescue antiemetics were significantly lower, 30%, in the dixyrazine group compared to 60% in the placebo group (P < 0.05). Higher sedation scores were recorded for the dixyrazine group in the recovery room. No other adverse effects were found. CONCLUSION: A significant number of children using PCA with morphine after major surgery experience PONV. Although prophylactic dixyrazine reduces the incidence and severity of vomiting, the incidence still remains high.     

Intraarticular, epidural, and intravenous analgesia after total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND: After total knee arthroplasty, patients regularly suffer from severe pain. It is unclear whether epidural or systemic pain therapy is superior in terms of postoperative pain relief, patients' comfort and side effects. A new therapeutic approach, intraarticular opioids, has been suggested with the detection of opioid receptors in inflamed tissue. This method has proven suitable for clinical use in small operations (e.g. knee arthroscopy). In this study, we compared epidural analgesia and intraarticular application of morphine plus "on-demand" intravenous analgesia to "on-demand" intravenous analgesia alone. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients, scheduled for total knee arthroplasty, were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: in group 1 (EPI) patients received bolus doses of morphine via an epidural catheter; in group 2 (IA) an intraarticular bolus of 1 mg of morphine was applied at the end of the operation with subsequent use of a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump; group 3 (Control), in which only PCA was provided, served as control for both analgesic procedures. Main outcome measures included visual analogue pain scales, total morphine consumption, and stress hormones. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences in visual analogue pain scales could be detected between the three groups. Application of intraarticular morphine did not reduce the amount of analgesics required for postoperative analgesia as compared to intravenous analgesia alone. Application of epidural morphine significantly suppressed beta-endorphine release, but did not significantly influence other stress hormones as compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Epidural and intravenous analgesia after total knee arthroplasty are equivalent methods of pain relief. In major orthopaedic procedures, application of intraarticular morphine does not reduce analgesic requirements.     

Postoperative Pain Therapy After Lumbar Disc Surgery

Summary  Object. This study was undertaken to determine whether a special postoperative pain administration of tramadol and diclofenac provides any benefits in patients who underwent microsurgical lumbar discectomy.  Methods. The study consisted of 60 patients undergoing microsurgical lumbar discectomy. Patients were randomly divided into two groups based on the postoperative pain management: 1) Group A (n=30): no standardized pain therapy; these patients received on demand different analgesics and at variable dosages which were selected by the neurosurgeons; 2) Group B (n=30): standardized pain therapy with specific dosages of tramadol and diclofenac in regular time intervals during the first 48 hours after surgery. After surgery follow-up data from a special standardized questionnaire were obtained for all 60 patients during the first 48–72 postoperative hours. The patients were asked for course and intensity of pain as well as about some specific circumstances of clinical therapy after surgery.  The postoperative pain intensity of patients treated with the special combination of tramadol and diclofenac was significantly diminished (24 hours after surgery: p=0.0002, 48 h: p=0.0047, 72 h: p=0.0034) in relation to the group without standardized pain therapy. Similarly, the frequency of breakthrough pain was significantly reduced (24 h: p=0.0001, 48 h: p=0.003, 72 h: p=0.004).  Conclusions. The results suggest that the application of tramadol and diclofenac during the first 48 hours after lumbar microdiscectomy results in a reduction in postoperative pain without complications. We suggest that the use of this combination can be a beneficial adjunct to lumbar disc surgery.     

Orbital surgery – perioperative problems and results

Fragestellung: Orbitotomien nehmen innerhalb der Ophthalmochirurgie auf Grund der involvierten anatomischen Strukturen und des daraus resultierenden Spektrums m?glicher perioperativer Probleme eine Sonderstellung ein. Um einen überblick über die Art und H?ufigkeit intra- und postoperativer Probleme bei Orbitotomien zu erhalten, führten wir eine retrospektive Auswertung an unserer Klinik durchgeführter Orbitotomien durch. Patienten und Methode: Es wurden 48 Orbitotomien bei 46 Patienten berücksichtigt, die zwischen 08/1995 und 02/1998 operiert wurden. Ergebnisse: Schwerwiegende intraoperative Komplikationen waren mit zwei transfusionspflichtigen Blutungen und einer Liquorfistel selten. Sie wurden interdisziplin?r behandelt. Postoperativ traten vorübergehende funktionelle St?rungen mit guter Rückbildungstendenz wie Visusminderungen (35 %), Motilit?tsst?rungen mit oder ohne Doppelbildwahrnehmung (20 %) und Lidfehlstellungen auf. Ihnen liegt v. a. die postoperative ?dem- und H?matombildung zugrunde. Persistierende Funktionseinschr?nkungen waren dagegen selten (10 %). Schlu?folgerung: Unsere Untersuchung zeigt, da? perioperativ bei Orbitotomien v. a. vorübergehende funktionelle Einschr?nkungen auftreten, die sich rasch zurückbilden. Schwere Komplikationen sind dagegen selten, treten v. a. intraoperativ auf und k?nnen eine interdisziplin?re Therapie erfordern.      

Programming a predictive rormula for angina and other risk factors in patients with cardiac diseases undergoing noncardiac operations

We programmed a formula which predicts the incidence of either myocardial infarction or cardiac death during the postoperative period. The original formula was proposed by Shah et al, based on their own data and analysis. The program is simple and is written in a language called Quick Basic. The use of this program is also simple. Such a program has improved the use of this analysis substantially. The program has been posted on to a few Computer network services as a free software.(Suwa K, Ogura S: Programming a predictive formula for angina and other risk factors in patients with cardiac diseases undergoing non-cardiac operations. J Anesth 6: 241–242, 1992)