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

PREVENTION OF POST-ERCP PANCREATITIS IN HIGH-RISK PATIENTS

Aim. To study the efficacy of thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) for the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis in high-risk patients. Materials and methods. A parallel, blinded, randomized study. The first (TEA group) group included patients (n = 98) in whom thoracic epidural analgesia was used during endoscopic transpapillary interventions (ETI), the second (OAI group) group included patients (n = 97) in whom opioid analgesics and indomethacin (per rectum). Results. The study showed that acute pancreatitis was diagnosed significantly less frequently in patients with the TEA group than in patients with the OAI group (p = 0.0135). If in the TEA group post-ERCP pancreatitis (PEP) was verified in 3.1% (3/98) patients, in the OAI group — in 12.4% (12/97) patients. When TEA was used in high risk patients of developing post-ERCP pancreatitis, its incidence decreased from 23.3% (10/43) to 4.4% (2/46) observations (p = 0.0095). Conclusion. The use of TEA is an effective and justified method of prevention in patients at high risk of developing post-ERCP pancreatitis. In patients with a low risk of developing this complication, the use of TEA is inappropriate due to the invasiveness of the method.