Associations between intraoperative and post-anesthesia care unit hypotension and surgical ward hypotension

Abstract Background Previous findings indicate that pre-emptive pregabalin as part of multimodal anesthesia reduces opioid requirements compared to conventional anesthesia in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). However, recent studies show contradictory evidence suggesting that pregabalin does not reduce postoperative pain or opioid consumption after surgeries. We conducted a register-based analysis on RALP patients treated over a 5-year period to evaluate postoperative opioid consumption between two multimodal anesthesia protocols. Methods We retrospectively evaluated patients undergoing RALP between years 2015 and 2019. Patients with American Society of Anesthesiologists status 1–3, age between 30 and 80 years and treated with standard multimodal anesthesia were included in the study. Pregabalin (PG) group received 150 mg of oral pregabalin as premedication before anesthesia induction, while the control (CTRL) group was treated conventionally. Postoperative opioid requirements were calculated as intravenous morphine equivalent doses for both groups. The impact of pregabalin on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and length of stay (LOS) was evaluated. Results We included 245 patients in the PG group and 103 in the CTRL group. Median (IQR) opioid consumption over 24 postoperative hours was 15 (8–24) and 17 (8–25) mg in PG and CTRL groups (p = 0.44). We found no difference in postoperative opioid requirement between the two groups in post anesthesia care unit, or within 12 h postoperatively (p = 0.16; p = 0.09). The length of post anesthesia care unit stay was same in each group and there was no difference in PONV Similarly, median postoperative LOS was 31 h in both groups. Conclusion Patients undergoing RALP and receiving multimodal analgesia do not need significant amount of opioids postoperatively and can be discharged soon after the procedure. Pre-emptive administration of oral pregabalin does not reduce postoperative opioid consumption, PONV or LOS in these patients.

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Postoperative opioids and risk of respiratory depression – A cross-sectional evaluation of routines for administration and monitoring in a tertiary hospital

Scandinavian Journal of Pain ◽

10.1515/sjpain-2020-0060 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Karoline Kolås Andersen ◽

Gunnvald Kvarstein

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Depression ◽

Patient Monitoring ◽

Current Practice ◽

Tertiary Hospital ◽

University Hospital ◽

Post Anesthesia Care Unit ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Routes Of Administration ◽

Surgical Ward ◽

Cross Sectional Design

AbstractObjectivesOpioids are the most potent analgesics in the treatment of postoperative pain. Respiratory depression is, however, a serious side effect. The aims of this study were to evaluate current practice and routines for post-operative administration of opioids in a Norwegian university hospital and to evaluate whether the clinical safeguards adequately protected patients’ safety regarding risk of respiratory depression.MethodsThe study had a retrospective cross-sectional design and included 200 patients, treated with opioids postoperatively. The patients were treated in a post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) before transferal to a surgical ward. Relevant data such as opioid dosages, routes of administration, sedation and respiratory function, routines for patient monitoring, and numbers of patients with opioid induced respiratory depression was collected.ResultsTwo patients (1%) developed respiratory depression that needed naloxone to reverse the effect, and 32 patients (16%) had a respiratory rate (RR) <10/min, which may have been caused by opioids. In the PACU, the patient’s RR was evaluated on a routine base, but after transferal to a surgical ward RR documented in only 7% of the patients.ConclusionsThe lack of routines for patient monitoring, especially RR, represented a risk of not detecting opioid induced respiratory depression.

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