Opioid-Sparing Multimodal Analgesia After Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy

Developing expert international consensus statements for opioid-sparing analgesia using the Delphi method

INTRODUCTION

The management of postoperative pain in anaesthesia is evolving with a deeper understanding of associating multiple modalities and analgesic medications. However, the motivations and barriers regarding the adoption of opioid-sparing analgesia are not well known.

METHODS

We designed a modified Delphi survey to explore the perspectives and opinions of expert panellists with regard to opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia. 29 anaesthetists underwent an evolving three-round questionnaire to determine the level of agreement on certain aspects of multimodal analgesia, with the last round deciding if each statement was a priority.

RESULTS

The results were aggregated and a consensus, defined as achievement of over 75% on the Likert scale, was reached for five out of eight statements. The panellists agreed there was a strong body of evidence supporting opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia. However, there existed multiple barriers to widespread adoption, foremost the lack of training and education, as well as the reluctance to change existing practices. Practical issues such as cost effectiveness, increased workload, or the lack of supply of anaesthetic agents were not perceived to be as critical in preventing adoption.

CONCLUSION

Thus, a focus on developing specific guidelines for multimodal analgesia and addressing gaps in education may improve the adoption of opioid-sparing analgesia.

Error traps in acute pain management in children

Providing effective acute pain management to hospitalized children can help improve outcomes, decrease length of stay, and increase patient and parental satisfaction. Error traps (circumstances that lead to erroneous actions or undesirable consequences) can result in inadequately controlled pain, unnecessary side effects, and adverse events. This article highlights five error traps encountered when managing acute pain in children. They include failure to appropriately assess pain, optimally utilize regional anesthesia, select suitable systemic analgesics, identify and treat medication-related side effects, and consider patient characteristics when choosing medication or dosing route. These issues are easily addressed when the clinician is cognizant of ways to anticipate, identify, and mitigate or avoid these errors.

Epidural analgesia for reduction of postoperative systemic opioid use following selective dorsal rhizotomy in children

OBJECTIVE

Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) requires significant postoperative pain management, traditionally relying heavily on systemic opioids. Concern for short- and long-term effects of these agents has generated interest in reducing systemic opioid administration without sacrificing analgesia. Epidural analgesia has been applied in pediatric patients undergoing SDR; however, whether this reduces systemic opioid use has not been established. In this retrospective cohort study, the authors compared postoperative opioid use and clinical measures between patients treated with SDR who received postoperative epidural analgesia and those who received systemic analgesia only.

METHODS

All patients who underwent SDR at Boston Children's Hospital between June 2013 and November 2019 were reviewed. Treatment used the same surgical technique. Postoperative systemic opioid dosage (in morphine milligram equivalents per kilogram [MME/kg]), pain scores, need for respiratory support, vomiting, bowel movements, and length of hospital and ICU stay were compared between patients who received postoperative epidural analgesia and those who did not, by using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test or Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

A total of 35 patients were identified, including 18 females (51.4%), with a median age at surgery of 6.1 years. Thirteen patients received postoperative epidural and systemic analgesia and 22 patients received systemic analgesia only. Groups were otherwise similar, with treatment selection based solely on surgeon routine. Patients who received epidural analgesia required less systemic morphine milligram equivalents/kg on postoperative days (PODs) 0-4 (p ≤ 0.042). Patients who did not receive epidural analgesia were more likely to require respiratory support on POD 1 (45% vs 8%; p = 0.027). Reported pain scores did not differ between groups, although patients receiving epidural analgesia trended toward less severe pain on PODs 1 and 2. Groups did not differ with respect to postoperative vomiting or time to first bowel movement, although epidural analgesia use was associated with a longer hospital stay (median 7 vs 5 days; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who received postoperative epidural analgesia required less systemic opioid use and had at least equivalent reported pain scores on PODs 1-4, and they required less respiratory support on POD 1, although they remained in the hospital longer when compared to patients who received systemic analgesia only. A larger prospective study is needed to confirm whether epidural analgesia lowers systemic opioid use in children, contributes to a safer postoperative hospital stay, and results in better pain control following SDR.

Structured opioid-free protocol following outpatient hypospadias repair - A prospective SQUIRE 2.0-compliant quality improvement initiative

BACKGROUND

Prescription opioids have been extensively to manage postoperative pain in children. A growing body of evidence from the adult literature, suggests however, that healthcare providers may be prescribing far more opioids than required, with some studies demonstrating equivalent post-operative pain and clinical outcomes with their omission.

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this prospective study were to assess the current heterogeneity of practice in post-operative opioids prescription following day case hypospadias surgery, to establish a streamlined discharge protocol, and to reduce the use of post-operative opioid prescription by 30% within a 4 month period through the use of systemic forcing functions and education.

STUDY DESIGN

This prospective study was approved by the Quality Improvement (QI) sub-committee of the hospital's Research and Ethics Board (REB) and was compliant with the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE 2.0) guidelines. Recruited parents (n = 84) were contacted for telephone interview following a combined intervention of education and omission of post-operative opioids from the discharge prescription. A mixture of qualitative and quantitative techniques were employed including an initial process analysis to assess current opioid use, the creation of balancing measures, and the creation of Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. Age, procedure, post-operative outcomes and opioid prescription data were recorded over a period of 6 months in 2019.

RESULTS

Initial measures in our process analysis demonstrated significant institutional practice variation amongst our 84 post-intervention patients. Our process and fidelity measures confirmed 100% information provision. Following the point of intervention, there was a significant and sustained drop in opioid prescription, with an absolute reduction of 35%, and a relative reduction of 56%. There was no significant difference in patient age, pain scores, or outcomes pre- and post-intervention.

DISCUSSION

We have shown in this study that a sustainable decrease in post-operative opioid prescriptions following hypospadias surgery is possible. We managed to achieve a relative reduction 56% which is comparable to other specialties, however, did it within a quality improvement framework to ensure fidelity and no adverse balancing measures. We also managed to reduce the number of doses prescribed in those receiving opioids post-intervention at week 9.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates opioids can be safely omitted in hypospadias cohorts without any adverse clinical outcomes or balancing measures. We recommend that opioids be used extremely judiciously in this population in order to minimize exposure in children.

Postoperative Pain Protocol in Children after Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy

INTRODUCTION

Selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) provides lasting relief of spasticity for children suffering from cerebral palsy, although controlling postoperative pain is challenging. Postoperatively, escalation of therapies to include a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump and intensive care unit (ICU) admission is common.

OBJECTIVES

We developed a multimodal pain management protocol that included intraoperative placement of an epidural catheter with continuous opioid administration. We present the 3-year results of protocol implementation.

METHODS

With institutional review board approval, all patients who were subjected to SDR at our institution were identified for review. Hourly pain scores were recorded. Adverse effects of medication, including desaturation, nausea/vomiting, and pruritus, were also noted. Comparisons were made between patients treated with PCA and those treated with multimodal pain control using t and χ2 tests as appropriate.

RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients undergoing the procedure with protocolized pain control (average age 6.8 years, 57% male) were compared to 7 PCA-treated controls (average age 6.6 years, 54% male). Pain control was satisfactory in both groups, with average pain scores of 1.5 in both groups on postoperative day 0, decreasing by postoperative day 3 to 1.1 in the PCA group and 0.5 in the protocol group. No patients under the protocol required ICU admission; all patients with PCA spent at least 1 day in the ICU. Desaturations were seen in 16 patients in the protocol group (41%), but none required ICU transfer. Treatment for pruritis was given to 57% of PCA patients and 15% of protocol patients. Treatment for nausea and vomiting was given to 100% of PCA patients and 51% of protocol patients. Medication requirements for the hospitalization were decreased from 1.1 to 0.28 doses per patient for pruritis, and from 3 to 1.1 doses per patient for nausea.

CONCLUSIONS

Multimodal analgesia is an excellent alternative to PCA for postoperative pain after SDR. Actual analgesia is comparative to that of controls without the need for intensive care monitoring. Side effects of high-dose opiates were less frequent and required less medication. With the protocol, patients were safely treated outside the ICU.