Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Clinico-Microbiological Aspects of Necrotising Fasciitis in Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Necrotising fasciitis is insidiously advancing soft tissue infection, characterized by widespread fascial necrosis. One of the most common conditions encountered in the clinical practice and which required clinical suspicion in patients who have less resistance to these infections. Especially in diabetic patients who are more prone for such infection due to low immunity and other reasons like early detection of these infections helps these patients to have a better recovery by aggressive surgical management and other measures required for the same. Literature has enough evidence on how serious this entity. Hence this study is designed in that aspect to help in early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This study will help to determine the clinical presentation, the polymicrobial involved. The organisms most closely linked to necrotizing fasciitis are group A beta-hemolytic streptococci, although the disease may also be caused by other bacteria and their sensitivity patterns will help us to install appropriate antibiotics with the surgical management. And to compare our mortality rate with the other studies. A prospective descriptive study including all type II diabetic patients with necrotizing fasciitis over 3 years. Patients were evaluated in detail with respect to patient’s history, examination, culture sensitivity and chart reviews and followed up using standard evaluation tools to measure the various outcomes. In 62 patients, the commonest clinical presentation was necrotic patch of skin and cellulites. The organisms cultured being beta hemolytic streptococci and E.Coli. The culture sensitivity pattern is to broad-spectrum antibiotics. The average stay in the hospital was about 13.74 days for the study group and the time delay in presentation is 6 days. Wagner’s score is a useful tool for aiding the diagnosis. Patients without foot care had extensive lesions. And a mortality rate of 1.6 % in these patients. In an acutely swollen limb in a diabetic patient a high degree of suspicion of necrotizing fasciitis is required. A detailed foot care is warranted in these patients. An early extensive debridement is mandatory and key for a favorable outcome. And to start on broad- spectrum antibiotics is advisable. Wagner’s scoring is helpful to predict the chances of a second surgery. With the above entities in mind the mortality rate of necrotizing fasciitis in type ii diabetes mellitus can be contained