Effect of general anesthesia with thoracic paravertebral block on postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic lobectomy: a randomized-controlled trial

Background Postoperative delirium (POD) is characterized by acute brain dysfunction, especially in elderly patients. Postoperative pain is an important factor in the development of delirium, and effective pain management can reduce the risk of POD. Thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) can effectively relieve postoperative pain and inhibit the perioperative stress and inflammatory response. We investigated whether the combination of TPVB with general anesthesia reduced the occurrence of POD following thoracoscopic lobectomy. Methods A total of 338 elderly patients, aged 65–80 years, who underwent elective surgery for video-assisted thoracoscopic lobectomy (VATS) were randomly assigned to either a patient-controlled intravenous analgesia group (PIA) or a patient-controlled paravertebral-block analgesia group (PBA). POD was evaluated using the 3-min diagnostic confusion assessment method (3D-CAM). The postoperative quality of recovery (QoR) was assessed with Chinese version of QoR-40 scale. Pain intensity was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) score. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and neurofilament light (NFL) levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Results Delirium occurred in 47 (28%) of 168 cases in the PIA group and 28 (16.5%) of 170 cases in the PBA group (RR 1.7, p = 0.03). PBA was also associated with a higher rate of overall recovery quality at day 7 after surgery (27.1% vs. 17.3%, P = 0.013) compared with PIA. The incremental change in surgery-induced TNF-α and NFL was greater in the PIA group than PBA group (p < 0.05). Conclusion Thoracic paravertebral block analgesia is associated with lower incidence of postoperative delirium, probably due to its anti-neuroinflammatory effects. Furthermore, as a component of multimodal analgesia, TPVB provides not only superior analgesic but also opioid-sparing effects. Trial registration The study was registered on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Center (www.chictr.org.cn; registration number: ChiCTR 2,000,033,238) on 25/05/2018.

Single-injection caudal thoracic paravertebral block improves pain control and recovery quality in female dogs undergoing unilateral radical mastectomy: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE To test clinical and analgesic effects of a single-injection caudal thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) after localization of the thoracic paravertebral space with a loss-of-resistance to air injection technique in female dogs undergoing unilateral radical mastectomy. ANIMALS 14 client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES Dogs were premedicated with methadone, anesthetized with propofol and sevoflurane, and randomly assigned to receive a TPVB or no block preoperatively. Rescue analgesia with fentanyl and methadone was provided on the basis of cardiovascular responses during surgery and postoperative pain scores assigned with a validated pain scale. Required dose of rescue opioids; mean end-tidal sevoflurane concentration; episodes of hypotension, bradycardia, and other complications; quality of recovery scores; and postoperative pain scores were compared between groups. RESULTS Median intraoperative fentanyl doses were 0 µg/kg (range, 0 to 2 µg/kg) and 4 µg/kg (range, 2 to 6 µg/kg) for the TPVB and control groups, respectively. Median postoperative methadone doses were 0 mg/kg (range, 0 to 0.2 mg/kg) and 0.6 mg/kg (range, 0.4 to 0.6 mg/kg) for the TPVB and control groups, respectively. Recovery scores and pain scores assigned at the time of and 1 hour after extubation were significantly lower in the TPVB group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE A single-injection caudal TPVB improved pain control and recovery quality in female dogs undergoing unilateral radical mastectomy. Because the TPVB involves only a single injection, does not take long to perform, and requires only readily available low-cost equipment, the technique may be a valuable option in both referral and first-opinion practice.

Adding Dexmedetomidine to Bupivacaine in Ultrasound-guided Thoracic Paravertebral Block for Pain Management after Upper Abdominal Surgery: A Double-blind Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Paravertebral blocks are one of the possible postoperative pain management modalities after laparotomy. Adjuvants to local anesthetics, including alpha agonists, have been shown to lead to better pain relief and increased duration of analgesia. Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the effect of adding dexmedetomidine to bupivacaine for ultrasound-guided paravertebral blocks in laparotomy. Methods: In this double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT), we enrolled 42 patients scheduled for T6 to T8 thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) for analgesia after laparotomy. The patients were randomly assigned into two groups of BD (bupivacaine 2.5 mg/mL 20 mL plus dexmedetomidine 100 µg) and B (bupivacaine 20 mL alone). Following surgery, intravenous fentanyl patient-controlled analgesia was initiated. The numerical rating scale (NRS) for pain, sedation score, total analgesic consumption, time to first analgesic requirement, side effects (such as nausea and vomiting), respiratory depression, and patients’ satisfaction during the first 48 hours of evaluation were compared in the two groups. Results: Pain scores and mean total analgesic consumption at the first 48 hours in the BD group were significantly lower than Group B (P = 0.03 and P < 0.001, respectively). The time of first analgesic request was significantly longer in BD group (P < 0.001). Sedation scores and side effects did not differ significantly between the two groups. Conclusions: Adding dexmedetomidine to bupivacaine for TPVB after laparotomy yielded better postoperative pain management without significant complications.

Efficacy of Single-shot Thoracic Paravertebral Block Combined with Intravenous Analgesia Versus Continuous Thoracic Epidural Analgesia for Chronic Pain After Thoracotomy

BACKGROUND: Patients undergoing thoracic surgery frequently suffer from chronic pain after thoracotomy. Chronic pain can lead to a significant decline in a patient’s quality of life. However, the effect of single-shot thoracic paravertebral block (TPVB) combined with intravenous analgesia on chronic pain incidence is unclear. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the impact of single-shot TPVB combined with intravenous analgesia versus continuous thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) on chronic pain incidence after thoracotomy. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized controlled study. SETTING: Hospital department in China. METHODS: Ninety-six patients undergoing thoracotomy were randomly assigned to 2 groups: single-shot TPVB combined with intravenous analgesia (Group P) and continuous TEA (Group E). The pain intensity was assessed using the Verbal Rating Scale (VRS). The outcome measures were chronic pain incidence and the acute and chronic pain intensity. RESULTS: The chronic pain incidence at rest in Group P was significantly higher than that in Group E at 3 months and 12 months postoperation (55.2% versus 28.6%, P = 0.019; 34.5% versus 14.3%, P = 0.027). The patients in Group E showed less pain intensity at rest compared with those in Group P at 3 months postoperation (0.0 versus 1.0, P = 0.034). At 6 hours and 24 hours postoperation, the acute pain intensity at coughing and at rest in Group E was lower than that in group P (VRS at coughing: 6 hours: 0.0 versus 2.0, P = 0.001; 24 hours: 3.0 versus 5.0, P = 0.010. VRS at rest: 6 hours: 0.0 versus 2.0, P = 0.000; 24 hours: 1.0versus. 2.0, P = 0.001). LIMITATIONS: An important limitation of this study is that it is not a double-blind study. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing thoracotomy, continuous TEA significantly reduced the chronic pain incidence at rest at 3 months and 12 months after operation and provided better acute pain relief up to 24 hours after operation compared with single-shot TPVB combined with intravenous analgesia. KEY WORDS: Acute pain, chronic pain, thoracic paravertebral block, thoracic epidural analgesia, chronic pain prevention, thoracotomy

Thoracic Paravertebral Block Ameliorates Postoperative Delirium in Geriatric Patients

Objectives Thoracic surgery often causes postoperative delirium (POD) in geriatric patients. This study aimed to explore the effect of ultrasound-guided continuous thoracic paravertebral block (UG-TPVB) on POD in geriatric patients undergoing pulmonary resection. Methods Total 128 patients who underwent pulmonary resection were randomly allocated to either the conventional patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) group or the UG-TPVB group (n = 64 per group). The consumption of opioid agents (propofol and remifentanil), postoperative hospital stay, postoperative pulmonary atelectasis, postoperative nausea/vomiting, and postoperative itchiness were recorded. The diagnosis of delirium was dependent on the Nursing Delirium Screening Scale. The postoperative pain was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) score. The serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α were used to evaluate the postoperative neuroinflammation. Results The consumption of propofol and remifentanil, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative pulmonary atelectasis, postoperative nausea/vomiting, and postoperative itchiness in the UG-TPVB group were lower than that in the PCA group. Compared with the PCA group, the prevalence of POD was decreased in the UG-TPVB group. In addition, use of UG-TPVB not only reduced postoperative pain (VAS score) but also decreased postoperative neuroinflammation compared with PCA in geriatric patients undergoing pulmonary resection. Conclusions This study determined the benefits of UG-TPVB over PCA, providing an effectiveness approach to alleviate POD in geriatric patients undergoing pulmonary resection.