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

The SBAR tool for communication and patient safety in gynaecology and obstetrics: a Tunisian pilot study

Abstract Background In healthcare, inadequate communication among providers and insufficient information transmission represent primary contributors to adverse events, particularly in medical specialties such as obstetrics and gynecology. The implementation of SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) has been proposed as a standardized communication tool to enhance patient safety. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to SBAR communication through a pilot study conducted in a middle-income country. Methods This prospective longitudinal study took place in the gynecology-obstetrics department of a Tunisian university hospital from May to June 2019. All medical and paramedical staff underwent comprehensive theoretical and practical training through a 4-hour SBAR simulation. To gauge participants’ knowledge, anonymous multiple-choice questionnaires were administered before the training initiation, with a second assessment conducted at the end of the training to measure satisfaction levels. Two months later, the evaluation utilized questionnaires validated by the French National Authority for Health (HAS). Results Among the 62 care staff participants in this study, a majority (89%) demonstrated a low level of knowledge regarding the SBAR tool. The majority (75.8%) expressed enjoyment with the training and indicated their intention to implement changes in their practice by incorporating the SBAR tool in the future (80.7%). Notably, over half of the participants (79%) expressed satisfaction with the training objectives, and 74% reported acquiring new information. Evaluation of the practice revealed positive feedback, particularly in terms of clarity, the relevance of communication, and the time spent on the call. Conclusion Our pilot study showed that the majority of professionals on the ward had little knowledge of the SBAR tool, a good attitude and a willingness to put it into practice. It is essential that healthcare managers and professionals from all disciplines work together to ensure that good communication practice is developed and maintained. Organisations, including universities and hospitals, need to invest in the education and training of students and health professionals to ensure good quality standardised communication

Anaphylactic shock due to patent blue: case report and review of literature

Intraoperative search for the sentinal node using patent blue is considered a non risk procedure. We emphasize the highly exceptional nature of this adverse effect previously observed in other disciplines using this coloring agent. We present a case of allergic reaction to patent blue in a patient who underwent left mastectomy with sentinel lymph node. About 25 min after the dye injection, the patient developed increased heart frequency and allergic skin reaction. The patient was treated successfully with decreased inspired fraction of inhaled anesthetic and fluid replacement. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged from the PACU 3h after the end of surgery without skin changes and was discharged from hospital on the morning after surgery. Allergic reactions with the use of patent blue are far superior to the hypersensitivity reactions seen with anesthetic and adjuvant drugs. Therefore, the anesthesiologist must be aware of cardiovascular instability associated with skin changes during the use of patent blue, for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of this hypersensitivity reaction to this dye. Skin tests done later confirmed allergy to patent blue dye; the tests induced a small syndrome reaction. Surgical personnel who use patent blue dye should be made aware of the risk of allergic reactions, sometimes severe, to this dye

Primary Echinococcus Hydatid Cyst of the Uterus: An Unusual Location

Hydatidosis is a widespread anthropozoonosis. It can affect almost any part of the body, but it occurs most commonly in the liver (75%) and the lungs (15%). Its occurrence in female genital tract, especially the uterus, is very rare. Diagnosing hydatid disease at these unusual locations can be difficult. Hereby, we report two cases of primary hydatid cyst of the uterus. The first case is that of a 62-year-old woman, G7P5A2, who presented with an eight-month history of chronic pelvic pain. Clinical examination and radiological explorations revealed the presence of a uterine fibroid and a serous cystadenoma of the left ovary. She underwent a hysterectomy and a bilateral adnexectomy. Anatomopathological examination concluded that a serous cystadenoma of the left ovary was a calcified subserous hydatid cyst of the uterine fundus. The second case is that of a 69-year-old woman, G6P4A2, who consulted for chronic pelvic pain that had been evolving for 3 months. The clinical examination and radiological explorations doubted a hydatid cyst of the uterus, with a positive hydatid serology. She underwent a resection of the salient dome. The anatomopathological examination was in favor of a hydatid cyst of the uterus. Hydatid disease is endemic in Tunisia. The pelvic region is rarely affected with an incidence ranging from 0.3 to 0.9%, 80% of which involves the genitals. The uterus is more rarely affected than the ovaries. Most often, it is a contamination secondary to the intra-abdominal rupture of a hydatid cyst of the liver. However, primary uterine hydatid cysts have been reported. Surgery is the Gold Standard for the treatment of uterine hydatid cysts. Exploration of the abdominal cavity is essential in the search for other localizations, particularly hepatic. Postoperative medical treatment with Albendazole can be discussed. The ideal approach to deal with this public health concern is to emphasize the need for improved preventive measures. Modern imaging techniques have significantly improved the detection rates of hydatid cysts in atypical localizations. Indeed, the preoperative diagnosis of uterine hydatidosis requires a meticulous approach which is necessary to initiate an adequate treatment and thus guarantee a better management of the patient