Update on pain management in acute pancreatitis

Acute Pancreatitis: An Update of Evidence-Based Management and Recent Trends in Treatment Strategies

Acute pancreatitis is a common gastrointestinal disease leading to hospitalisation. Recent advancements in its management have primarily focussed on the development of early phase medical interventions targeting inflammatory pathways, optimisation of supportive treatment (including fluid resuscitation, pain management and nutritional management), appropriate use of antibiotics, implementation of minimally invasive interventions for infected necrosis, and the necessity of follow-up for long-term complications. These advancements have significantly improved personalised management and overall outcomes of acute pancreatitis. Despite these efforts, early-phase medical interventions to mitigate disease progression are still lacking and acute pancreatitis remains a heterogeneous disease. Future research and clinical trials are imperative to further optimise current strategies and develop new therapeutic approaches. This review presents an evidence-based approach to the management of acute pancreatitis, highlighting recent developments.

Global trends in opioid use for pain management in acute pancreatitis: A multicentre prospective observational study

BACKGROUND

Since there is no current international consensus on the optimal approach for pain management in acute pancreatitis (AP), analgesic practices may vary across different healthcare settings.

OBJECTIVE

This study explored global disparities in analgesic use, in particular opioids, during admission and at discharge in hospitalised AP patients.

METHODS

This was a post hoc analysis of the prospective PAINAP database, which included all admissions for AP between April and June 2022 with a 1-month follow-up. Demographic details, analgesic use, and clinical outcomes were recorded during admission and at discharge. Odds ratios (ORs) for opioid use during admission and at discharge were identified using multivariable regression analyses.

RESULTS

Amongst the 1864 patients (52% males, median age 56 (interquartile range, 41-71)) across three different continents, simple analgesics were predominantly used as the primary analgesic (70%). Opioid use during admission was lowest in European centres (67%). Admission in Asian (OR, 2.53 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.59-4.04), p < 0.001), and Australian (OR, 5.81 (95% CI, 3.19-10.56), p < 0.001) centres was associated with opioid administration during admission compared with European centres. Increased pain severity, longer pre-admission pain duration, organ failure, and longer length of admission increased opioid use during admission. At discharge, Asian (OR, 2.01 (95% CI, 1.40-2.88), p < 0.001) and Australian (OR, 1.91 (95% CI, 1.28-2.85), p = 0.002) centres were associated with opioid prescription compared with European centres. Increased pain severity, longer pre-admission pain duration, acute necrotic collections, and walled-off necrosis also increased the likelihood of opioid prescription at discharge.

CONCLUSION

There are substantial intercontinental differences in opioid use for AP pain. Accordingly, there is a need for international guidelines on pain management in AP.

Diagnosis and Management of Acute Pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is increasing in incidence across the world, and in all age groups. Major changes in management have occurred in the last decade. Avoiding total parenteral nutrition and prophylactic antibiotics, avoiding overly aggressive fluid resuscitation, initiating early feeding, avoiding endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the absence of concomitant cholangitis, same-admission cholecystectomy, and minimally invasive approaches to infected necrosis should now be standard of care. Increasing recognition of the risk of recurrence of AP, and progression to chronic pancreatitis, along with the unexpectedly high risk of diabetes and exocrine insufficiency after AP is the subject of large ongoing studies. In this review, we provide an update on important changes in management for this increasingly common disease.

Opioid analgesia and severity of acute pancreatitis: An international multicentre cohort study on pain management in acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

The effect of analgesic modalities on short-term outcomes in acute pancreatitis remains unknown. However, preclinical models have raised safety concerns regarding opioid use in patients with acute pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess the association between analgesics, particularly opioids, and severity and mortality in hospitalised patients with acute pancreatitis.

METHODS

This prospective multicentre cohort study recruited consecutive patients admitted with a first episode of acute pancreatitis between April 1 and 30 June 2022, with a 1-month follow-up. Data on aetiology, clinical course, and analgesic treatment were collected. The primary outcome was the association between opioid analgesia and acute pancreatitis severity, which was analysed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Among a total of 1768 patients, included from 118 centres across 27 countries, 1036 (59%) had opioids administered on admission day, and 167 (9%) received opioids after admission day. On univariate analysis, moderately severe or severe acute pancreatitis was associated with male sex, Asian ethnicity, alcohol aetiology, comorbidity, predicted severe acute pancreatitis, higher pain scores, longer pain duration and opioid treatment (all p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, comorbidity, alcohol aetiology, longer pain duration and higher pain scores increased the risk of moderately severe or severe acute pancreatitis (all p < 0.001). Furthermore, opioids administered after admission day (but not on admission day) doubled the risk of moderately severe or severe disease (OR 2.07 (95% CI, 1.29-3.33); p = 0.003). Opioid treatment for 6 days or more was an independent risk factor for moderately severe or severe acute pancreatitis (OR 3.21 (95% CI, 2.16-4.79; p < 0.001). On univariate analysis, longer opioid duration was associated with mortality.

CONCLUSION

Opioid treatment increased the risk of more severe acute pancreatitis only when administered after admission day or for 6 days or more. Future randomised studies should re-evaluate whether opioids might be safe in acute pancreatitis.

Erector spinae plane block as a component of intensive care for acute pancreatitis: a prospective randomized pilot study

BACKGROUND: Analgesia is crucial in the treatment of patients with acute pancreatitis, which includes the increased use of regional analgesia. In recent years, less-invasive and safer methods of pain relief, particularly erector spinae plane block (ESP-block), has drawn attention from the anesthesiological community. However, studies on its use in acute pancreatitis are rare. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to make a clinical evaluation of bilateral erector spinae plane block in patients with acute pancreatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A pilot prospective randomized study was conducted. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (n=7), ESP blockade was used, and group 2 (n=12), epidural analgesia (EA) was used. The primary points were considered to be an assessment of pain syndrome intensity and the need for analgesics. Additional results were liver and kidney function, acid-base condition, inflammatory response level, and the time of onset of peristalsis. RESULTS: The decrease in pain intensity in both groups was unidirectional: after 8 h, it was 3.57±1.98 points to the NRS in group 1 and 2.91±1.97 points to the NRS in group 2, and after 24 h, it was 1.42±1.27 and 1.75±2.3 points to the NRS, respectively. No significant difference was found in pain intensity between the groups (р 0,05). The average consumption of ketorolac was 78.2±16.3 mg in group 2 — 63.28±17.23 mg for 1 patient. The average need for narcotic analgesics, that is, morphine, per patient was 22±8 mg in group 1 and 36.3±17.2 mg in group 2 (р 0,05). During the therapy, blood α-amylase, diuresis rate, creatinine level, and glomerular filtration rate did not have a significant difference between the groups, as well as pH, BE, and blood lactate levels (р 0,05). Peristalsis was noted after 12.49±19.73 h in the ESP-block group and after 16.9±21.3 h in the 2nd group (р 0,05). The ICU length of stay between the groups did not differ and was 62±3 and 62±7 h, respectively (р 0,05). CONCLUSION: Bilateral erector spinae plane block is a simple and safe method that induces analgesic effect and effect on homeostasis in acute pancreatitis, similar to epidural blockade. Further study of the role and location of erector spinae plane block in treating pain in acute pancreatitis is required.