Articles: analgesics.
-
Prescription of modified-release opioids for acute postoperative pain is widespread despite evidence to show their use may be associated with an increased risk of adverse effects. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the available evidence on the safety and efficacy of modified-release, compared with immediate-release, oral opioids for postoperative pain in adults. We searched five electronic databases from 1 January 2003 to 1 January 2023. ⋯ Our narrative synthesis concluded that modified-release opioids showed no superiority over immediate-release opioids for analgesic consumption, length of hospital stay, hospital readmissions or physical function after surgery. One study showed that modified-release opioid use is associated with higher rates of persistent postoperative opioid use compared with immediate-release opioid use. None of the included studies reported on psychological function, costs or quality of life.
-
Paediatric anaesthesia · Oct 2023
ReviewPharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic modeling of analgesics and sedatives in children.
Pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic modeling is an important tool which uses statistical methodology to provide a better understanding of the relationship between concentration and effect of drugs such as analgesics and sedatives. Pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic models also describe between-subject variability that allows identification of subgroups and dose adjustment for optimal pain management in individual patients. This approach is particularly useful in the pediatric population, where most drugs have received limited evaluation and dosing is extrapolated from adult practice. ⋯ An adequate assessment of analgesic and sedative effect using pain scales or brain activity measures is essential to build reliable pharmacokinetic pharmacodynamic models. This is often challenging in children due to the multidimensional nature of pain and the limited sensitivity and specificity of some measurement tools. This review provides a summary of the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic methodology used to describe the dose-concentration-effect relationship of analgesics and sedation in children, with a focus on the different pharmacodynamic endpoints and the challenges of pharmacodynamic modeling.
-
Anesthesia and analgesia · Oct 2023
ReviewNitrous Oxide Use in Australian Health Care: Strategies to Reduce the Climate Impact.
Nitrous oxide is a useful inhaled analgesic. Due to its high global warming potential and ozone-depleting properties, the nitrous oxide emissions related to health care are being increasingly scrutinized. In this narrative review, we will discuss the clinical uses of nitrous oxide relevant to anesthetists, in addition to its contribution as a greenhouse gas. ⋯ These include destruction of captured nitrous oxide, minimizing nitrous oxide waste and reducing clinical use. Anesthesia clinicians are well placed to raise awareness with colleagues and consumers regarding the environmental impact of nitrous oxide and to promote cleaner alternatives. Reducing use is likely to be the most promising reduction strategy without large-scale changes to infrastructure and subsequent delay in action.
-
Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Oct 2023
ReviewChronic post amputation pain: pathophysiology and prevention options for a heterogenous phenomenon.
Chronic postamputation pain (cPAP) remains a clinical challenge, and current understanding places a high emphasis on prevention strategies. Unfortunately, there is still no evidence-based regimen to reliably prevent chronic pain after amputation. ⋯ Phantom limb pain is a multifactorial process involving profound functional and structural changes in the peripheral and central nervous system. These changes interact with individual medical, psychosocial and genetic patient risk factors. The patient collective of amputees is very heterogeneous. Available evidence suggests that efforts should focus on prevention of phantom limb pain, since treatment is notoriously difficult. Questions as yet unanswered include the evidence-base of specific analgesic interventions, their optimal "window of opportunity" where they may be most effective, and whether patient stratification according to biopsychosocial risk factors can help guide preventive therapy.
-
Thyroid and parathyroid operations are among the most commonly performed surgeries in the world; however, there remains a paucity of prospective clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of opioid-sparing protocols after surgery. ⋯ An opioid-sparing treatment algorithm based on the use of acetaminophen/ibuprofen may offer a safe and effective treatment algorithm compared to a primary opioid-focused treatment pathway. Randomized adequately powered studies are needed to confirm these findings.