Postoperative Pain Relief Using Local Anesthetic Instillation

Foot & Ankle ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 350-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael H. Bourne ◽  
Kenneth A. Johnson

Effective pain control following surgery is a concern. Oral narcotic agents may be effective yet have many side effects. Parenteral agents are impractical in outpatient procedures. Local blocks may distort tissue planes and require additional time and technical skill to administer. We have found that instillation of local anesthetic (0.5% bupivacaine [Marcaine, Sensorcaine]) into the wound prior to closure is a safe and effective means of providing significant reduction in postoperative foot pain.

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011419S0006
Author(s):  
Ryan Rogero ◽  
Elizabeth McDonald ◽  
Steven M. Raikin ◽  
Daniel Fuchs ◽  
Rachel J. Shakked ◽  
...  

Category: Basic Sciences/Biologics, Anesthesia/Pain Control Introduction/Purpose: Rebound pain, the quantifiable difference in pain experienced after nerve block resolution, can be a substantial component of postoperative pain, opioid intake, sleep disturbances, and patient satisfaction. A relatively higher concentration initial local anesthetic bolus may contribute to this phenomenon, as the transition from an entirely numb and painless limb to a partially numb limb may lead to greater perceived pain following block resolution. In contrast, patients experiencing some level of background pain immediately following surgery due to a lower concentration initial bolus may have less perceived pain after block resolution. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of the initial local anesthetic concentration in continuous popliteal nerve blocks on rebound pain and other postoperative variables in foot and ankle surgery. Methods: Following IRB approval, patients undergoing outpatient foot and ankle procedures requiring continuous popliteal nerve blocks under the care of a single fellowship-trained foot & ankle surgeon were identified. Subjects were randomized and blinded to either the standard (0.5%) or low-dose (0.2%) initial ropivacaine bolus, both being followed by a continuous 0.2% ropivacaine catheter infusion. From postoperative days 1 to 7, subjects recorded their hourly visual analog scale (VAS) pain level out of 100, perceived pain relief from the block, and satisfaction with pain control, as well as daily narcotic intake and other postoperative side effects, through an electronic survey. Rebound pain was scored according to a published method by subtracting the lowest VAS pain score during the 12 hours prior to the subject’s determination of block resolution from the highest VAS pain score in the 12 hours after resolution. 69 subjects completed the study. Outcomes were compared using Student’s t-tests. Results: Thirty-four subjects received a standard initial 0.5% ropivacaine bolus, while 35 received a 0.2% bolus. Chi-square testing and t-tests revealed no difference in any preoperative patient variables or procedural type/location between groups. Subjects receiving the lower 0.2% ropivacaine bolus had a lower rebound pain score (47.6) than those receiving the standard ropivacaine bolus (51.0), though not significantly (p=.679). The group receiving the lower concentration bolus only reported a higher mean VAS pain at 72 hours following surgery (39.6 vs. 25.7, p=.044) and more pain interference with sleep (p=.015) on postoperative day 5. The groups did not differ significantly (p>.05) on any day in terms of morphine equivalent units (MEUs) consumed, satisfaction with pain control, nausea, constipation, or nerve-related symptoms of tingling, numbness, and hypersensitivity. Conclusion: The utilization of a lower concentration initial local anesthetic bolus in continuous peripheral nerve blocks in foot and ankle surgery did not significantly lower rebound pain, but provided similar postoperative pain control as a standard local anesthestic bolus concentration. Further investigation with larger cohorts is needed to further optimize local anesthetic concentration in continuous nerve blocks in order to limit postoperative pain, side effects, and opioid intake following foot and ankle surgery.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Tanudeep Kaur ◽  

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience causing agony and several side effects in a postoperative patient. Thus effective postoperative pain management has a humanitarian role with additional medical and economic benefits Paracetamol (PCM) has been widely used as an effective analgesic and antipyretic for over a century with an established safety profile, and Tramadol is a commonly used intravenous drug for postoperative pain relief.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4;19 (4;5) ◽  
pp. 299-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanley Antolak, Jr

Background: Pudendal neuropathy is a tunnel syndrome characterized by pelvic pain and may include bowel, bladder, or sexual dysfunction or a combination of these. One treatment method, pudendal nerve perineural injections (PNPIs), uses infiltration of bupivacaine and corticosteroid around the nerve to provide symptom relief. Bupivacaine also anesthetizes the skin in the receptive field of the nerve that is injected. Bupivacaine offers rapid pain relief for several hours while corticosteroid provides delayed pain control often lasting 3 to 5 weeks. Not all pudendal nerve blocks may provide complete pain relief but long-term pain control from the steroid appears to be associated with immediate response to bupivacaine. We offer a method of evaluating the quality of a pudendal block on the day it is performed using pinprick sensation evaluation. Objective: To demonstrate that pinprick sensory changes provide a simple and rapid method of measuring response to local anesthetic and pain reduction provided by a PNPI on the day it is performed. This response defines the quality of each PNPI. Study Design: This is a case series based on retrospective review of a private practice database that is maintained by HealthEast hospitals in Minnesota. Database information includes standard physical examination, recording techniques, and treatment processes that had been in place for several years. Setting: Private practice in United States. Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of pudendal neuropathy are treated with PNPIs. Two hours after each block, 2 endpoints are measured: response to a sensory pinprick examination of the pudendal territory and difference in patient-reported pain level before and after nerve block. Fifty-three men from a private practice treating only pelvic pain received the treatment in 2005. Reported pain level was not recorded for 2 patients. Results: Bupivacaine in perineural injections produces varying degrees of analgesia or hypalgesia to pinprick. Normal pinprick response suggests pudendal nerves were not penetrated by bupivacaine. Patient responses varied from complete, i.e. all 6 branches anesthetized to none. Most men had 2 – 5 nerve branches anesthetized. One man had a single nerve branch that responded to bupivacaine. Three men failed to respond to local anesthetic. Changes in pre-PNPI to post-PNPI pain scores were significantly decreased (n = 51, P-value < 0.0001), indicating that bupivacaine in the PNPI reduced pain. Forty-one patients (80.4%) indicated less pain after the procedure and only 2 patients (4.0%) indicated more pain. The number of nerve branches successfully anesthetized was also significantly correlated with change in score. On average, an additional successful nerve branch anesthetized corresponded to a drop of about 0.66 in the change score (n = 51, P - value = 0.0005). Conclusion: PNPIs relieve pain. Anesthesia affected all 6 pudendal nerve branches in only 13.2% of patients. Complete pain relief occurred in 39.2%. This argues against use of perineural pudendal blockade as a diagnostic test. Pain relief after PNPI is associated with number of nerve branches that are anesthetized. At 2 hours after a PNPI its quality (the number of the 6 nerve branches with reduced response to pinprick from the perineural local anesthetic) is associated with subjective reduction of pain. Key words: Pudendal neuralgia, chronic perineal pain, pudendal nerve block, sensory examination, neurologic examination, pain management, chronic pelvic pain syndrome


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (02) ◽  
pp. 138-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhys Holyoak ◽  
Ruan Vlok ◽  
Thomas Melhuish ◽  
Anthony Hodge ◽  
Matthew Binks ◽  
...  

AbstractThe infiltration of local anesthetic has been shown to reduce postoperative pain in knee arthroscopy. Several studies have shown that the addition of agents such as magnesium and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) result in an increased time to first analgesia and overall reduction in pain. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine whether the addition of an α-2 agonist (A2A) to intra-articular local anesthetic, results in a reduction in postoperative pain. Four major databases were systematically searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to July 2017. RCTs containing a control group receiving a local anesthetic and an intervention group receiving the same with the addition of an A2A were included in the review. The included studies were assessed for level of evidence and risk of bias. The data were then analyzed both qualitatively and where appropriate by meta-analysis. We reviewed 12 RCTs including 603 patients. We found that the addition of an A2A resulted in a significant reduction in postoperative pain up to 24 hours. The addition of the A2A increased time to first analgesia request by 258.85 minutes (p < 0.00001). Total 24-hour analgesia consumption was analyzed qualitatively with all included studies showing a significant reduction in total analgesia requirement. Interestingly, none of the studies found an increase in side effects associated with the A2A. This study provides strong evidence for the use of A2As as a means to reduce postoperative pain post arthroscopic knee surgery, without a corresponding increase in side effects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (6) ◽  
pp. 331-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Rebel, MD ◽  
Paul Sloan, MD ◽  
Michael Andrykowski, PhD

Background and methods: Intrathecal opioids (ITOs) have been used for decades to control postoperative pain. Intrathecal opioid dosing is limited, however, by opioid-related side effects, most importantly respiratory depression. To overcome these limitations, we combined intrathecal morphine with a continuous intravenous (IV) postoperative naloxone infusion to control opioid-related side effects. The purpose of this study is to document the efficacy and safety of high-dose intrathecal morphine combined with postoperative naloxone infusion to provide postoperative analgesia after major surgery. After IRB approval, a retrospective chart analysis was performed on 35 patients who had a radical prostatectomy from 2004 to 2006. All patients received a single injection of ITOs before anesthesia, a typical general anesthestic, followed by naloxone infusion at 5 μg/kg/h started 1 hour post-ITOs and continued for 22 hours postoperatively. The following information was collected: patient age, height, weight, anesthesia technique/time, and dose of ITOs given. Postoperative pain relief was assessed for 48 hours using the Visual Analog Score (VAS) for pain (0, no pain; 10, worst pain), perioperative opioid use, NSAID consumption, and ability of patient to ambulate. The safety of this novel treatment was assessed with opioid-related side effects and vital signs. All data are reported as mean (SD).Results: Mean ITOs given were morphine 1.3 (0.3) mg combined with fentanyl 56 (9) μg. The intrathecal morphine dose ranged from 0.8 to 1.7 mg. The mean worst pain VAS in the first 12 hours postoperatively was only 1.0 (1.7). The first NSAID dose was given 6.6 (3.1) hours post-ITOs. The first opioid on the floor was given an average of 22.6 (14.5) hours post-ITOs. A mean of only 5.7 (12.3) morphine equivalents were required on postoperative day 1 (POD 1). On POD 2, the mean worst pain VAS was only 2.6 (2.2) with only 5.7 (6.2) morphine equivalents needed to provide pain relief. On POD 1, 25 patients required no additional opioids for their entire hospital stay. Overall, 11 of 35 patients did not require any additional postoperative opioids. Thirtyfour patients (97 percent) were able to ambulate in the first 12 hours postoperatively. No opioid-induced respiratory depression was observed. Opioid-related side effects (pruritus, nausea) were infrequent and minor.Conclusions: High-dose ITOs combined with postoperative IV naloxone infusion provided excellent analgesia for radical prostate surgery. IV naloxone infusion appeared to control opioid side effects without diminishing the analgesia. No serious adverse effects were noted.


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