A Mixed-Methods Study of the Effect of Abdominal Binders on Opioid Use and Postoperative Pain After Cesarean Birth

ObjectiveTo compare levels of postoperative oxycodone use and incisional pain between two randomized groups—an intervention and a control.DesignMixed-methods design; quantitative data achieved via a randomized controlled trial, with qualitative data collected on binder use. The primary variable was oxycodone (in milligrams) required during the first 48 hours after birth, and the secondary variable was incisional pain levels measured on Postoperative Days 1 and 2.SettingAcute-care community hospital in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and an acute care urban hospital in Denver, Colorado.ParticipantsA total of 220 individuals in the postpartum period after having cesarean birth.Interventions/MeasurementsParticipants were randomized to the intervention group (binder) or the control group (no binder). Data were collected on opioid usage for the first 48 hours. Participants in both groups were asked to rate their incisional pain on Postoperative Day 1 (24 hours after birth) and Postoperative Day 2 (48 hours after birth). Participants in the binder group were also asked to provide feedback on their experience wearing the binder.ResultsA total of 196 participants completed the study. The overall amount of oxycodone taken by individuals in the binder group was lower than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = .10). Pain scores in the binder group were significantly lower on Day 2 compared with the control group (p = .002). The majority of individuals in the binder group provided positive feedback about their experience wearing the binder.ConclusionIndividuals routinely receive medications to assist with pain management postoperatively. Because of growing concerns related to the nation’s opioid addiction crisis, there is interest in using multimodal treatments to achieve adequate pain control for individuals postoperatively. Abdominal binders are a low-cost intervention to assist with pain management and, given the results of this study, seem like a reasonable option to consider.     

Priorities for content for a short-course on postoperative care relevant for low- and middle-income countries: an e-Delphi process with training facilitators

Most surgical and anaesthetic mortality and morbidity occurs postoperatively, disproportionately affecting low- and middle-income countries. Various short courses have been developed to improve patient outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, but none specifically to address postoperative care and complications. We aimed to identify key features of a proposed short-course addressing this topic using a Delphi process with low- and middle-income country anaesthesia providers trained as short-course facilitators. An initial questionnaire was co-developed from literature review and exploratory workshops to include 108 potential course features. Features included content; teaching method; appropriate participants; and appropriate faculty. Over three Delphi rounds (panellists numbered 86, 64 and 35 in successive cycles), panellists indicated which features they considered most important. Responses were analysed by geographical regions: Africa, the Americas, south-east Asia and Western Pacific. Ultimately, panellists identified 60, 40 and 54 core features for the proposed course in each region, respectively. There were high levels of consensus within regions on what constituted core course content, but not between regions. All panellists preferred the small group workshop teaching method irrespective of region. All regions considered anaesthetists to be key facilitators, while all agreed that both anaesthetists and operating theatre nurses were key participants. The African and Americas regional panels recommended more multidisciplinary healthcare professionals for participant roles. Faculty from high-income countries were not considered high priority. Our study highlights variability between geographical regions as to which course features were perceived as most locally relevant, supporting regional adaptation of short-course design rather than a one-size-fits-all model.     

Manejo anestésico de las pacientes embarazadas tetrapléjicas durante el parto: una revisión sistemática

IntroductionPregnancy in spinal cord injured patients has specific issues that must be carefully addressed. However, guidelines for their management are scarce.MethodsA systematic review of the literature regarding the anaesthetic management during delivery of pregnant patients with cervical spinal cord injury was performed on the electronic databases of PubMed (Medline) and Cochrane.ResultsA higher incidence of preterm birth and caesarean delivery were seen. Anaesthetic management was diverse, although most pregnant patients received epidural analgesia. Autonomic dysreflexia symptoms were present in 51% of pregnancies.ConclusionTimely management of these patients could possibly reduce caesarean and preterm delivery rates, avoid or minimize common complications, as well as reduce costs. An early reference to anaesthesiology consultation and a multidisciplinary approach is recommended.     

Atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveNew-onset postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) after cardiac surgery is common, with rates up to 60%. POAF has been associated with early and late stroke, but its association with other cardiovascular outcomes is less known. The objective was to perform a meta-analysis of the studies reporting the association of POAF with perioperative and long-term outcomes in patients with cardiac surgery.MethodsWe performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis of studies that presented outcomes for cardiac surgery on the basis of the presence or absence of POAF. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library were assessed; 57 studies (246,340 patients) were selected. Perioperative mortality was the primary outcome. Inverse variance method and random model were performed. Leave-one-out analysis, subgroup analyses, and metaregression were conducted.ResultsPOAF was associated with perioperative mortality (odds ratio [OR], 1.92; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.58-2.33), perioperative stroke (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.90-2.49), perioperative myocardial infarction (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06-1.54), perioperative acute renal failure (OR, 2.74; 95% CI, 2.42-3.11), hospital (standardized mean difference, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.53-1.07) and intensive care unit stay (standardized mean difference, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.24-0.86), long-term mortality (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.54; 95% CI, 1.40-1.69), long-term stroke (IRR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.21-1.46), and longstanding persistent atrial fibrillation (IRR, 4.73; 95% CI, 3.36-6.66).ConclusionsThe results suggest that POAF after cardiac surgery is associated with an increased occurrence of most short- and long-term cardiovascular adverse events. However, the causality of this association remains to be established.     

舒芬太尼在肾母细胞瘤患儿术后镇痛中的应用效果及对患儿免疫功能的影响

目的探讨舒芬太尼在肾母细胞瘤患儿术后镇痛中的应用效果及对患儿免疫功能的影响。方法采用随机数字表法将42例肾母细胞瘤患儿分为低剂量、中剂量和高剂量组,每组14例,低剂量组、中剂量组、高剂量组患儿术后舒芬太尼镇痛剂量分别为1.0、2.5、4.0μg/kg。术后6、24、48 h,采用中文版儿童疼痛行为量表(FLACC)评估三组患儿的镇痛效果,以及不良反应发生情况;麻醉前和术后1、24、72 h,检测三组患儿免疫功能指标,包括免疫球蛋白(Ig)G、IgA、IgM。结果术后6、24、48 h,中剂量组、高剂量组患儿FLACC评分均低于低剂量组患儿,差异均有统计学意义(P﹤0.05)。术后1、24、72 h,低剂量组患儿IgG、IgA、IgM水平均低于本组麻醉前,差异均有统计学意义(P﹤0.05);术后1、24 h,中剂量组和高剂量组患儿IgG、IgA、IgM水平均低于本组麻醉前,差异均有统计学意义(P﹤0.05),但术后72 h,中剂量组和高剂量组患儿IgG、IgA、IgM水平与麻醉前比较,差异均无统计学意义(P﹥0.05)。低剂量组患儿未发生不良反应,中剂量组患儿发生恶心1例,高剂量组患儿发生恶心5例、呕吐3例。结论2.5μg/kg的舒芬太尼在肾母细胞瘤患儿术后镇痛中效果明显,且对患儿的免疫系统发挥一定的保护作用,可以减轻患儿术后免疫功能抑制。     

应用腹腔镜技术治疗阑尾残端瘘5例分析

正阑尾残端瘘是阑尾切除术后严重的并发症之一,其发生率在0.7%～3.7%~([1]),一旦发生,往往不能自愈,治疗周期长,给病人带来严重的身心损害和经济负担。研究认为,70%～80%的病人能够通过冲洗引流、肠内肠外营养支持、内镜下阑尾残端夹闭等方法治愈,但仍有近20%的病人在接受3～6个月的保守治疗仍无法治愈,须接受二次手术~([2])。笔者医院将腹腔镜技术应用于阑尾残端瘘病人的再次手术中。现报告如下。     

Intrathecal catheterisation after observed accidental dural puncture in labouring women: update of a meta-analysis and a trial-sequential analysis

BackgroundOur meta-analysis from 2013 showed that inserting a catheter intrathecally after an observed accidental dural puncture can reduce the need for epidural blood patch in labouring women requesting epidural analgesia. We updated our conventional meta-analysis and added a trial-sequential analysis (TSA).MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies that compared inserting the catheter intrathecally with an epidural catheter re-site or with no intervention. The extracted data were pooled and the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (95%CI) for the incidence of post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) was calculated, using the random effects model. A contour-enhanced funnel plot was constructed. A TSA was performed and the cumulative Z score, monitoring and futility boundaries were constructed.ResultsOur search identified 13 studies, reporting on 1653 patients, with a low risk of bias. The RR for the incidence of PDPH was 0.82 (95%CI 0.71 to 0.95) and the RR for the need for epidural blood patch was 0.62 (95%CI 0.49 to 0.79); heterogeneity of both analyses was high. The TSA showed that the monitoring or futility boundaries were not crossed, indicating insufficient data to exclude a type I error of statistical analysis. Contour-enhanced funnel plots were symmetric, suggesting no publication bias.ConclusionsConventional meta-analyses showed for the first time that intrathecal catheterisation can reduce the incidence of PDPH. However, TSA did not corroborate this finding. Despite increasing use in clinical practice there is no firm evidence on which to base a definite conclusion.     

Patients' expectations,experience and acceptability of postoperative analgesia: a nested qualitative study within a randomised controlled trial comparing rectus sheath catheter and thoracic epidural analgesia

Adequate postoperative analgesia is a key element of enhanced recovery programmes. Thoracic epidural analgesia is associated with superior postoperative analgesia but can lead to complications. Rectus sheath catheter analgesia may provide an alternative. In a nested qualitative study (within a two-year randomised controlled trial) focussing on the acceptability, expectations and experiences of receiving the interventions, participants (n = 20) were interviewed 4 weeks post-intervention using a grounded theory approach. Constant comparative analysis, with patient and public involvement, enabled emerging findings to be pursued through subsequent data collection. We found no notable differences regarding postoperative acceptability or the experience of pain management. Pre-operatively, however, thoracic epidural analgesia was a source of anticipatory fear and anxiety. Both interventions resulted in some experienced adverse events (proportionately more with thoracic epidural analgesia). Participants had negative experiences of the insertion of thoracic epidural analgesia; others receiving the rectus sheath catheter lacked confidence in staff members' ability to manage the local anaesthetic infusion pump. The anticipation of the technique of thoracic epidural analgesia, and concerns about its impact on mobility, represented an additional, unpleasant experience for patients already managing an illness experience, anticipating a life-changing operation and dealing with concerns about the future. The anticipation of rectus sheath catheter analgesia was not associated with such anxieties. Patients' experiences start far earlier than the experience of the intervention itself through anticipatory anxieties and fears about receiving a technique and its potential implications. Complex pain packages can take on greater meaning than their actual efficacy in relieving postoperative pain. Future research into patient acceptability and experience should not focus solely on efficacy of pain relief but should include anticipatory fears, anxieties and experiences.