Search Results (19)

Background: The aim of this study was to determine whether continuous wound infiltration (CWI) can replace intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) and to investigate effective pain control strategies after a single-port access (SPA) laparoscopy for adnexal disease. Methods: A total of 470 patients (the CWI group [n = 109], the IV PCA group [n = 198], and the combined group [n = 163]) who underwent an SPA adnexal laparoscopy and who received CWI or IV PCA for postoperative pain management were retrospectively reviewed. The numeric rating scale (NRS) pain score at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h (h) after surgery and the total amount of fentanyl administered via IV PCA were collected. The incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and the total amount of rescue antiemetic drugs administered were also evaluated. Results: The mean NRS pain scores at 6 h (combined vs. PCA vs. CWI, 3.08 vs. 3.44 vs. 3.96, p < 0.001), 12 h (2.10 vs. 2.65 vs. 2.82, p < 0.001), and 24 h (1.71 vs. 2.01 vs. 2.12, p < 0.001) after surgery were significantly lower in the combined group. CWI showed a similar pain-reduction effect after surgery compared to IV PCA, except for the acute phase (within 6 h after surgery). The incidence of PONV during the entire hospitalization period was significantly lower in the CWI group compared to the groups using IV PCA (p < 0.05). The combined group had a significantly lower incidence of PONV and use of rescue antiemetics than the IV PCA group (p < 0.05). The combined group required significantly less total PCA fentanyl compared to the IV PCA group (combined vs. PCA, 622.1 μg vs. 703.1 μg, p < 0.001). Conclusions: CWI is an effective alternative to IV PCA and has fewer side effects. Combined use of CWI and IV PCA may be an ideal pain management strategy, offering a strong pain-reduction effect and only moderate side effects. Full article

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with trial sequential analysis (TSA) aimed to comprehensively evaluate and compare the efficacy of the prophylactic administration of tropisetron in the prevention of the incidence of post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in patients undergoing surgery under general anesthesia. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024372692). RCTs comparing the efficacy of the perioperative administration of tropisetron with that of a placebo, other anti-emetic agents, or a combination of anti-emetic injections were retrieved from the databases of Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Google Scholar. The frequency of rescue anti-emetic use (RA) and the incidence of PON, POV, and PONV (relative risk [RR]: 0.718; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.652–0.790; I² = 0.0, RR: 0.587; 95% CI 0.455–0.757; I² = 63.32, RR: 0.655; 95% CI 0.532–0.806; I² = 49.09, and RR: 0.622; 95% CI 0.552–0.700; I² = 0.00, respectively) in the tropisetron group were lower than those in the control group; however, the incidence of complete response (CR) was higher in the tropisetron group (RR: 1.517;95% CI 1.222–1.885; I² = 44.14). TSA showed the cumulative Z-curve exceeded both the conventional test and trial sequential monitoring boundaries for RA, PON, POV, and PONV between the tropisetron group and the control group. Thus, the prophylactic administration of tropisetron exhibited superior efficacy in the prevention of PON, POV, and PONV. Furthermore, a lower incidence of RA and a higher incidence of CR were observed with its use. Full article

Background: Pain control after off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCAB) facilitates mobilization and improves outcomes. The efficacy of the erector spinae plane block (ESPB) after cardiac surgery remains controversial. Methods: We aimed to investigate the analgesic effects of ESPB after OPCAB. Precisely 56 patients receiving OPCAB were randomly divided into ESPB and control groups. The primary outcome was visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were the dose of rescue analgesics in terms of oral morphine milligram equivalents, the dose of antiemetics, the length of intubation time, and the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU). Results: The VAS scores were similar at all time points in both groups. The incidence of severe pain (VAS score > 7) was significantly lower in the ESPB group (50% vs. 15.4%; p = 0.008). The dose of rescue analgesics was also lower in the ESPB group (19.04 ± 18.76, 9.83 ± 12.84, p = 0.044) compared with the control group. The other secondary outcomes did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: ESPB provides analgesic efficacy by reducing the incidence of severe pain and opioid use after OPCAB. Full article

Opioid-free multimodal analgesia (MMA) emerges as a preferable approach for postoperative pain management compared to opioid-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in robot-assisted bilateral axillary breast approach thyroidectomy, a procedure commonly undergone by young female patients. We compared the analgesic efficacy and other recovery profiles between MMA and PCA. In total, 88 female patients were administered fentanyl-based PCA or the combination of lidocaine continuous infusion and nefopam injection before recovery from general anesthesia. The visual analog scale score of postoperative pain was assessed at the post-anesthesia care unit and at 6, 12, and 24 h after the termination of surgery. Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), rescue analgesic and anti-emetic agents, recovery profiles, and adverse events were also compared. The median numeric rating scores on postoperative pain at 6 h after recovery from general anesthesia were three in both groups, with no significant difference between the groups at any time point. The PONV incidence was significantly higher in the PCA group than in the MMA group. The combination of systemic lidocaine infusion and nefopam injection has an analgesic effect equivalent to that of fentanyl-based PCA without PONV. Full article

Background: The application of enhanced recovery after surgery principles decreases postoperative complications (POCs), length of stay (LOS), and readmissions. Pharmacoprophylaxis decreases morbidity, but the effect of specific regimens on clinical outcomes is unclear. Methods and Materials: Records of 476 randomly selected adult patients who underwent elective colorectal surgeries (ECRS) at 10 US hospitals were abstracted. Primary outcomes were surgical site infection (SSI), venous thromboembolism (VTE), postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), pain, and ileus rates. Secondary outcomes included LOS and 7- and 30-day readmission rates. Results: POC rates were SSI (3.4%), VTE (1.5%), PONV (47.9%), pain (58.1%), and ileus (16.1%). Cefazolin 2 g/metronidazole 500 mg and ertapenem 1 g were associated with the shortest LOS; cefotetan 2 g and cefoxitin 2 g with the longest LOS. No SSI occurred with ertapenem and cefotetan. More Caucasians than Blacks received oral antibiotics before intravenous antibiotics without impact. Enoxaparin 40 mg subcutaneously daily was the most common inpatient and discharge VTE prophylaxis. All in-hospital VTEs occurred with unfractionated heparin. Most received rescue rather than around-the-clock antiemetics. Scopolamine patches, spinal opioids, and IV lidocaine continuous infusion were associated with lower PONV. Transversus abdominis plane block with long-acting local anesthetics, celecoxib, non-anesthetic ketamine bolus, ketorolac IV, lidocaine IV, and pregabalin were associated with lower in-hospital pain severity rates. Gabapentinoids and alvimopan were associated with lower ileus rates. Acetaminophen, alvimopan, famotidine, and lidocaine patches were associated with shorter LOS. Conclusions: Significant differences in pharmacotherapy regimens that may improve primary and secondary outcomes in ECRS were identified. In adult ECRS, cefotetan or ertapenem may be better regimens for preventing in-hospital SSI, while ertapenem or C/M may lead to shorter LOS. The value of OA to prevent SSI was not demonstrated. Inpatient enoxaparin, compared to UFH, may reduce VTE rates with a similar LOS. A minority of patients had a documented PONV risk assessment, and a majority used as-needed rather than around-the-clock strategies. Preoperative scopolamine patches continued postoperatively may lower PONV and PDNV severity and shorter LOS. Alvimopan may reduce ileus and shorten LOS. Anesthesia that includes TAP block, ketorolac IV, and pregabalin use may lead to reduced pain rates. Acetaminophen, alvimopan, famotidine, and lidocaine patches may shorten LOS. Given the challenges of pain management and the incidence of PONV/PDNV found in this study, additional studies should be conducted to determine optimal opioid-free anesthesia and the benefit of newer antiemetics on patient outcomes. Moreover, future research should identify latent pharmacotherapy variables that impact patient outcomes, correlate pertinent laboratory results, and examine the impact of order or care sets used for ECRS at study hospitals. Full article

(1) Background: Remimazolam is a novel benzodiazepine that prevents postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), is more effective than volatile anesthetics, and was recently approved for use in Japan. (2) Methods: This prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial study aimed to compare the efficacy of remimazolam and propofol as general anesthetics in terms of the incidence of PONV after laparoscopic gynecological surgery (UMIN000046237). High-risk female patients who underwent general anesthesia with either remimazolam or propofol for the maintenance of anesthesia were enrolled. The primary outcome was the incidence of PONV in the two groups (i.e., REM versus PROP) 2 h and 24 h after surgery. The incidence of vomiting without nausea, rescue antiemetic use, and the severity of nausea were also evaluated. (3) Results: No significant differences in PONV were identified between the REM and PROP groups at 2 h or 24 h. Furthermore, no differences were observed in any of the measured parameters, and no adverse events were reported. (4) Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that remimazolam may be as effective as propofol in preventing PONV; however, further investigation is necessary to identify possible differences between these two agents. Full article

Background and Objectives: Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) is a common adverse effect of general anesthesia, especially in middle ear surgery. Remimazolam is a newer benzodiazepine recently approved for use in general anesthesia. This study aimed to compare the incidence rate of PONV after tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy between using remimazolam and sevoflurane. Materials and Methods: This study included 80 patients undergoing elective tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy. The patients were randomly assigned to either the remimazolam or sevoflurane group. The primary outcome was the incidence rate of PONV 12 h after surgery. The secondary outcomes were the incidence rate of PONV 12–24 and 24–48 h after surgery, severity of PONV, incidence rate of vomiting, administration of rescue antiemetics, hemodynamic stability, and recovery profiles. Results: The incidence rate of PONV 0–12 h after tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy was significantly lower in the remimazolam group compared with that in the sevoflurane group (28.9 vs. 57.9%; p = 0.011). However, the incidence rate of delayed PONV did not differ between the two groups. PONV severity in the early periods after the surgery was significantly lower in the remimazolam group than in the sevoflurane group. The incidence rate of adverse hemodynamic events was lower in the remimazolam group than in the sevoflurane group, but there was no difference in the overall trends of hemodynamic data between the two groups. There was no difference in recovery profiles between the two groups. Conclusions: Remimazolam can significantly reduce the incidence rate of early PONV after tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy under general anesthesia. Full article

The scalp nerve block, created by injecting local anesthetics around the scalp nerves, is reported to effectively reduce pain after surgery. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of scalp nerve block in patients with hemifacial spasm (HFS) undergoing microvascular decompression (MVD). Seventy-four patients who underwent MVD for HFS were enrolled. The block group received scalp nerve block with 0.5% ropivacaine before surgery. The primary outcome was cumulative dose of rescue analgesics 24 h postoperatively. The secondary outcomes were included pain scores, postoperative antiemetic consumption, and Quality of Recovery-15 scale. The cumulative dose of rescue analgesics at 24 h postoperatively was not significantly different between the two groups (4.80 ± 3.64 mg vs. 5.92 ± 3.95 mg, p = 0.633). However, the pain score was significantly reduced in the block group at 6, 12, and 24 h postoperatively. Postoperative antiemetic consumption was lower in the block group than the control group at 12 h. There were no significant differences between the two groups for other secondary outcomes. In MVD for HFS, a preoperative scalp nerve block might reduce postoperative pain in the early postoperative period, but a larger study using a multimodal approach is needed to confirm the efficacy of a scalp block. Full article

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) negatively impact cancer patients’ quality of life and treatment outcomes. This study evaluated the achievement of complete response to CINV prophylaxis during the first five days after chemotherapy in adult outpatient cancer clinics with solid malignant tumours receiving Moderate or Highly Emetogenic Chemotherapy (MEC or HEC) in Portugal. During the study, patients completed three evaluations, and nausea severity and CINV impact on patients’ daily life was assessed. A complete response (no emetic episodes, no use of rescue antiemetic medication, and no more than mild nausea) was observed in 72% of the cycles (N = 161) throughout the five days after chemotherapy. Amongst the patient population, 25% classified their CINV episodes as severe. Though more than half of the patients achieved a complete response, suggesting that a therapeutic effort is being made to minimise this side effect, the overall scenario is barely optimistic. Significantly, new CINV-control measures in MEC/HEC patients should be adopted, specifically avoiding the single use of dexamethasone and 5-HT3 and raising awareness of using NK1-RAs. Thus, it is critical to improve CINV prophylactic treatment and implement practical international antiemetic guidelines in Portuguese clinical practice, envisaging the improvement of supportive care for cancer patients. Full article

This updated systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of the perioperative administration of palonosetron with that of ramosetron in preventing postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). A total of 17 randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of the perioperative administration of palonosetron to that of ramosetron for preventing PONV were included. The primary outcomes were the incidences of postoperative nausea (PON), postoperative vomiting (POV), and PONV, which were measured in early, late, and overall phases. Subgroup analysis was performed on the basis of the administration time of the 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and divided into two phases: early phase and the end of surgery. A total of 17 studies with 1823 patients were included in the final analysis. The incidence of retching (relative risk [RR] = 0.525; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.390 to 0.707) and late POV (RR = 0.604; 95% CI = 0.404 to 0.903) was significantly lower in the palonosetron group than in the ramosetron group. No significant differences were demonstrated in the incidence of PON, PONV, complete response, use of antiemetics, and adverse effects. Subgroup analysis showed that palonosetron was superior to ramosetron in terms of early PON, late PON, overall POV, and use of rescue antiemetics when they were administered early; in terms of retching, regardless of the timing of administration. Ramosetron was superior to palonosetron in terms of early PON when they were administered late. The prophylactic administration of palonosetron was more effective than that of ramosetron in preventing the development of retching and late POV. In this meta-analysis, no significant differences in PONV prevention between the two drugs were demonstrated. Further studies are required to validate the outcomes of our study. Full article

Hyperemesis gravidarum is characterized by severe nausea and vomiting. This study aims to illustrate the efficacy of acupressure at P6 in treating nausea and vomiting in hyperemesis gravidarum. This parallel randomized controlled trial was conducted from 2016–2017 in a tertiary hospital. Hospitalized women with ≤16 weeks of gestation and moderate to severe nausea and vomiting classified using a modified PUQE score were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either apply an acupressure wristband at the P6 point three times daily or to receive regular doses of intravenous antiemetics. The primary outcome was differences in modified PUQE scores among the groups. The secondary outcomes were differences in the rate of urine ketone clearance and the frequency of requiring rescue antiemetics. Ninety women were equally randomized into two groups, with no dropout. There was a statistically significant difference in the degrees of nausea and vomiting between the groups at 8, 16, and 24 hours post-admission (p^8hours= 0.001, p^16hours = 0.006, and p^24hours = 0.001). The requirement of antiemetics and the rate of urine ketone clearance between the two groups were also statistically significant, at p = 0.001 and p = 0.02 respectively. There were no side effects in either group. The P6 acupressure was efficacious in alleviating nausea and vomiting among hyperemesis gravidarum women. The trial was retrospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05175079). Full article

Multimodal prophylaxis for postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) has been recommended, even in low-risk patients. Midazolam is known to have antiemetic properties. We researched the effects of adding midazolam to the dual prophylaxis of ondansetron and dexamethasone on PONV after gynecologic laparoscopy. In this prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial, 144 patients undergoing gynecological laparoscopic surgery under sevoflurane anesthesia were randomized to receive either normal saline (control group, n = 72) or midazolam 0.05 mg/kg (midazolam group, n = 72) intravenously at pre-induction. All patients were administered dexamethasone 4 mg at induction and ondansetron 4 mg at the completion of the laparoscopy, intravenously. The primary outcome was the incidence of complete response, which implied the absence of PONV without rescue antiemetic requirement until 24 h post-surgery. The complete response during the 24 h following laparoscopy was similar between the two groups: 41 patients (59%) in the control group and 48 patients (72%) in the midazolam group (p = 0.11). The incidence of nausea, severe nausea, retching/vomiting, and administration of rescue antiemetic was comparable between the two groups. The addition of 0.05 mg/kg midazolam at pre-induction to the dual prophylaxis had no additive preventive effect on PONV after gynecologic laparoscopy. Full article

Background and Objectives: The cutoff values were analyzed for providing the ideal intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) that could reduce rescue analgesics or antiemetics requirements, based on the grades of postoperative pain intensity (PPI). Materials and Methods: PCA regimens of 4106 patients were retrospectively analyzed, and they were allocated into three groups with low, moderate, and high PPI grades (groups L, M, and H, respectively) based on numeric rating scores obtained 6 h postoperatively. Opioid and non-opioid analgesic doses were converted into fentanyl-equivalent doses (DOSE-FEN-OP and DOSE-FEN-NONOP, respectively). The primary endpoint was the cutoff values of these parameters. Results: With respect to the PCA settings to reduce rescue analgesic and antiemetic requirements, group L required a background infusion rate (BIR) of 1.75–3 mL/h, bolus volume of 0.5–1.25 mL, and lockout interval of ≤12.5 min. Group M required a BIR of 1.75 mL/h, bolus volume of 0.5–1.75 mL, and lockout interval of ≤5 min. Group H required a BIR of 1.75 mL/h, bolus volume of 0.5 mL, and lockout interval of ≤5 min. In assessments of the analgesic doses to reduce rescue analgesic requirement, the DOSE-FEN-OP was at least 950 μg of fentanyl regardless of group, while the DOSE-FEN-NONOP was ≥250 μg, ≥550 μg, and ≥700 μg for the L, M, and H groups, respectively. In assessments of the analgesic doses to reduce rescue antiemetic requirement, DOSE-FEN-OP was ≤950 μg for groups L and M and ≤850 μg for Group H, while DOSE-FEN-NONOP was ≤50 μg, ≤450 μg, and ≤700 μg for groups L, M, and H, respectively. Conclusion: The ideal PCA for reduction in rescue analgesics or antiemetics can be achieved by adjustment of PCA settings and drug dosages carefully with these cutoff values depending on the expected grades of PPI. Especially, the ideal PCA can be provided by adjusting the lockout interval and bolus volume rather than BIR and by applying smaller bolus doses and shorter lockout intervals with an increasing PPI grade. Full article

Background and Objectives: We investigated the non-inferiority of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), using either nefopam alone or combined nefopam-fentanyl for postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, randomized, controlled study, 78 patients were allocated to receive nefopam 240 mg (Group N240) or nefopam 120 mg with fentanyl 600 μg (Group NF), equivalent to fentanyl 1200 μg, with a total PCA volume of 120 mL. Patients were given a loading dose (0.1 mL/kg) from the PCA device along with ramosetron (0.3 mg) and connected to a PCA device with a background infusion rate of 2 mL/h, bolus dose amount set at 2 mL, and lockout interval set at 15 min. Pain scores were obtained using the numeric rating scale (NRS) at 30 min after recovery room (RR) admission, as well as 8 and 24 h postoperatively. The primary outcome was analgesic efficacy evaluated using NRS-rated 8 h postoperatively. Other evaluated outcomes included the incidence rate of bolus demand, rescue analgesic and antiemetic requirements, and postoperative adverse effects. Results: NRS scores were not significantly different between the groups throughout the postoperative period (p = 0.539). NRS scores of group N240 were not inferior to those of group NF at 30 min after RR admission, or at 8 and 24 h postoperatively (mean difference [95% CI], −0.05 [−0.73 to 0.63], 0.10 [−0.29 to 0.50], and 0.28 [−0.06 to 0.62], respectively). Postoperative adverse effects were not significantly different between the two groups (p = 1.000) and other outcomes were also not significantly different between the two groups (p ≥ 0.225). Conclusions: PCA using nefopam alone has a non-inferior and effective analgesic efficacy and produces a lower incidence of postoperative adverse effects compared to a combination of fentanyl and nefopam after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Full article

Propofol and dexmedetomidine are the two most popular intravenous sedatives during anesthesia. However, data comparing the effects of these two sedatives during spinal anesthesia on postoperative recovery are still insufficient. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients aged ≥65 years who underwent orthopedic surgery under spinal anesthesia between March 2012 and February 2017. The patients were allocated into two groups according to the intraoperative sedatives: the propofol group and dexmedetomidine group. We analyzed the incidence of postoperative delirium, analgesic requirement, and rescue anti-emetic treatment. A total of 1045 patients were included in the analysis. After propensity score matching with the propofol group, the dexmedetomidine group showed a lower incidence of postoperative delirium (odds ratio, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.07–0.56; p = 0.011). Postoperative analgesic and anti-emetic requirement were not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.156 and 0.245, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that intraoperative sedation, age, preoperative albumin level, and hip surgery were significantly associated with the incidence of postoperative delirium. This study showed that intraoperative dexmedetomidine sedation under spinal anesthesia during lower limb surgery is associated with a lower incidence of postoperative delirium compared with propofol sedation. Full article