Influence of Epidural Ropivacaine with or without Dexmedetomidine on Postoperative Analgesia and Patient Satisfaction after Thoraco-Lumbar Spine Instrumentation: A Randomized, Comparative, and Double-Blind Study

Qureshi Faisal,Meena Shyam Charan,Kumar Vishal,Jain Kajal,Chauhan Rajeev,Luthra Ankur 대한척추외과학회 2021 Asian Spine Journal Vol.15 No.3

Study Design: This was a prospective, randomized, and double-blind study. Purpose: Thoraco-lumbar spine surgery is associated with severe postoperative pain and can cause chronic pain. We aimed to compare the impact of epidural ropivacaine with and without dexmedetomidine on postoperative analgesia after thoracolumbar spine instrumentation wherein an epidural catheter was placed by the surgeon intraoperatively. Overview of Literature: Very few studies have reported the use of epidural dexmedetomidine in spine surgeries. When used via the epidural route, dexmedetomidine is safe and efficacious and is associated with reduced rescue analgesia consumption, increased duration of analgesia, reduced pain scores, but not with major hemodynamic adverse effects. Methods: Total 60 American Society of Anesthesiologists I–III adult patients aged 18–65 years who were scheduled to undergo thoraco-lumbar spine instrumentation were randomly allocated into group RD (epidural ropivacaine+dexmedetomidine) or group R (epidural ropivacaine plus saline). We aimed to compare the total rescue analgesic consumption on postoperative day 0, 1, and 2. Moreover, we studied the time to first rescue analgesia with visual analogue scale score <4 and the overall patient satisfaction scores. Results: There was no difference between the demographic characteristics of the two groups. The mean value of total rescue analgesia consumption was 162.5±68.4 mg in the RD group and 247.5±48.8 mg in the R group. The mean time to first rescue analgesia was 594.6±83.0 minutes in the RD group and 103.6±53.2 minutes in the R group. The mean patient satisfaction score was 4.2±0.7 in the RD group and 3.2±0.6 in the R group. No patient had any respiratory depression or prolonged motor blockade during the postoperative period. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the superior efficacy, in terms of postoperative analgesia and patient satisfaction scores, of epidural ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine over that of ropivacaine alone in patients undergoing surgery for thoraco-lumbar spine.

Addendum: Improved postoperative recovery profile in pediatric oral rehabilitation with low-dose dexmedetomidine as an opioid substitute for general anesthesia: a randomized double-blind clinical trial

Naik B Naveen,Manoj Kumar Jaiswal,Venkata Ganesh,Ajay Singh,Shyam Charan Meena,Vamsidhar Amburu,Shiv Lal Soni 대한치과마취과학회 2023 Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Vol.23 No.1

Improved postoperative recovery profile in pediatric oral rehabilitation with low-dose dexmedetomidine as an opioid substitute for general anesthesia: a randomized double-blind clinical trial

Naik B Naveen,Manoj Kumar Jaiswal,Venkata Ganesh,Ajay Singh,Shyam Charan Meena,Vamsidhar Amburu,Shiv Lal Soni 대한치과마취과학회 2022 Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Vol.22 No.5

Background: Low-dose dexmedetomidine may be a suitable alternative to opioids for pediatric ambulatory procedures under general anesthesia (GA). However, the recovery profile remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the effects of low-dose dexmedetomidine on the recovery profile of children. Methods: Seventy-two children undergoing ambulatory oral rehabilitation under GA were randomly and equally distributed into two groups (D and F). Group D received an infusion of dexmedetomidine 0.25 μg/kg for 4 min for induction, followed by maintenance of 0.4 μg/kg/h. Group F received an infusion of fentanyl 1 μg/kg over 4 min for induction, followed by maintenance at 1 μg/kg/h. The primary outcome was the extubation time. The secondary outcomes were awakening time, end-tidal sevoflurane (ET-Sevo) requirement, change in hemodynamic parameters, Richmond Agitation–Sedation Scale (RASS), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario pain scale (CHEOPS) score, length of PACU stay, and incidence of adverse events. Results: Statistically significant differences were observed in the recovery profile between the groups: the median time for extubation was 3.65 (3.44–6.2) vs. 6.25 (4.21–7) minutes in groups D vs. F (P=0.001), respectively, while the corresponding awakening times were 19 (18.75–21) and 22.5 (22–24) minutes, respectively (P < 0.001). The mean ET-Sevo was low in group D (1.1 vs. 1.2; P < 0.001). The heart rate was significantly low across all time points in group D, without resulting in bradycardia. The median RASS and CHEOPS scores were also significantly lower in group D. No significant differences were observed in the mean arterial pressure, incidence of adverse events, or length of PACU stay. Conclusion: Low-dose dexmedetomidine was more effective than fentanyl as an opioid substitute at providing a better recovery profile in pediatric ambulatory oral rehabilitation under GA. Dexmedetomidine also significantly reduced sevoflurane consumption without causing adverse events or prolonging hospital stay.

Nitrous oxide splurge in a tertiary health care center and its environmental impact: No more laughing stock

Amit Sharma,GD Puri,Rajeev Chauhan,Ankur Luthra,Gauri Khurana,Amarjyoti Hazarika,Shyam Charan Meena 대한치과마취과학회 2024 Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Vol.24 No.1

Background: Nitrous oxide has been an integral part of surgical anesthesia for many years in the developed world and is still used in developing countries such as India. The other main concerns in low-resource countries are the lack of an advanced anesthesia gas-scavenging system and modular surgical theatres. As a greenhouse gas that has been present in the atmosphere for more than 100 years and damages the ozone layer, nitrous oxide is three times worse than sevoflurane. Here, we conducted an observational study to quantify the annual nitrous oxide consumption and its environmental impact in terms of carbon dioxide equivalence in one of busiest tertiary health care and research centers in Northern India. Methods: Data related to nitrous oxide expenditure’ from the operation theatre and manifold complex of our tertiary care hospital and research center from 2018 to 2021 were collected monthly and analyzed. The outcomes were extracted from our observational study, which was approved by our institutional ethics board (INT/IEC/2017/1372 Dated 25.11.2017) and registered prospectively under the Central Registry (CTRI/2018/07/014745 Dated 05.07.2018). Results: The annual nitrous oxide consumption in our tertiary care hospital was 22,081.00, 22,904.00, 17,456.00, and 18,392.00 m3 (cubic meters) in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, respectively. This indicates that the environmental impact of nitrous oxide (in terms of CO2 equivalents) from our hospital in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 was 13,016.64, 13,287.82, 10,289.94, and 10,841.24 tons, respectively. Conclusion: This huge amount of nitrous oxide splurge is no longer a matter of laughter, and serious efforts should be made at every central and peripheral health center level to reduce it.

Comparison of Intraoperative Low-Dose Ketodex and Fentanyl Infusion for Postoperative Analgesia In Spine Surgery: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Study

Thappa Priya,Singh Nidhi,Luthra Ankur,Deshpande Pruthviraj,Chauhan Rajeev,Meena Shyam Charan,Kumar Vishal,Singla Navneet 대한척추외과학회 2023 Asian Spine Journal Vol.17 No.5

Study Design: Prospective randomized double-blind study.Purpose: To assess the analgesic effects of the combination of a low-dose ketamine and dexmedetomidine (ketodex) infusion and compare it with that of fentanyl for postoperative analgesia after spine surgeries.Overview of Literature: Adequate pain management following spine surgeries is crucial. Approximately 57% of patients experience inadequate pain control in the first 24 hours following elective spine surgery, which is attributable to the extensive soft tissue and muscle damage.Methods: The study included 60 patients graded American Society of Anesthesiologists I and II and scheduled for thoracolumbar spine surgery involving >3 vertebral levels. The patients were divided into two groups: group KD (ketodex) and group F (fentanyl). The primary objective was to compare the postoperative analgesic requirements among the groups. The secondary objectives included a comparison of the intraoperative anesthetic requirements, postoperative pain scores, hemodynamic parameters, side effects of the study drugs, and the duration of post-anesthesia care unit stay of both the groups.Results: Ketodex use prolonged the mean time to first rescue analgesia (22.00±2.30 hours vs. 11.69±3.02 hours, <i>p</i> <0.001) and reduced the requirement of rescue analgesics in the first 24 hours postoperatively compared to fentanyl use (70.00±8.16 μg vs. 113.31±36.65 μg, <i>p</i> =0.03). The intraoperative requirement of desflurane was comparable between the groups (<i>p</i> >0.05). The postoperative pain scores were significantly lower in the group KD than in group F at most timepoints (<i>p</i> <0.05). Patients in group KD had a shorter post-anesthesia care unit stay than group F did (<i>p</i> <0.001).Conclusions: Low-dose ketodex could be a safe substitute for fentanyl infusion when employed as an anesthetic adjuvant for patients undergoing thoracolumbar spine surgeries involving >3 vertebral levels to achieve prolonged analgesia without any opioidrelated side effects.