Suture-method versus Through-the-needle Catheters for Continuous Popliteal-sciatic Nerve Blocks: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND:The basic perineural catheter design has changed minimally since inception, with the catheter introduced through or over a straight needle. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently cleared a novel perineural catheter design comprising a catheter attached to the back of a suture-shaped needle that is inserted, advanced along the arc of its curvature pulling the catheter past the target nerve, and then exited through the skin in a second location. The authors hypothesized that analgesia would be noninferior using the new versus traditional catheter design in the first two days after painful foot/ankle surgery with a primary outcome of average pain measured with the Numeric Rating Scale. METHODS:Subjects undergoing painful foot or ankle surgery with a continuous supraparaneural popliteal-sciatic nerve block 5 cm proximal to the bifurcation were randomized to either a suture-type or through-the-needle catheter and subsequent 3-day 0.2% ropivacaine infusion (basal 6 ml/h, bolus 4 ml, lockout 30 min). Subjects received daily follow-up for the first four days after surgery, including assessment for evidence of malfunction or dislodgement of the catheters. RESULTS:During the first two postoperative days the mean ± SD average pain scores were lower in subjects with the suture-catheter (n = 35) compared with the through-the-needle (n = 35) group (2.7 ± 2.4 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4) and found to be statistically noninferior (95% CI, -1.9 to 0.6; P < 0.001). No suture-style catheter was completely dislodged (0%), whereas the tips of three (9%) traditional catheters were found outside of the skin before purposeful removal on postoperative day 3 (P = 0.239). CONCLUSIONS:Suture-type perineural catheters provided noninferior analgesia compared with traditional catheters for continuous popliteal-sciatic blocks after painful foot and ankle surgery. The new catheter design appears to be a viable alternative to traditional designs used for the past seven decades

Treating Intractable Postamputation Pain with Noninvasive, Wearable, Nonthermal, Pulsed Shortwave (Radiofrequency) Therapy: A 12-Patient Case Series

BACKGROUND Postamputation phantom and residual limb pain are common and frequently intractable, with few reliably effective treatments. Pulsed nonthermal shortwave (radiofrequency) electromagnetic field therapy is a noninvasive treatment used previously as an adjunct analgesic and wound healing therapy. Its use for postamputation pain remains unexamined. CASE REPORT Twelve patients with an above or below knee amputation with persistent, intractable phantom and/or residual limb pain unresponsive to multiple previous invasive treatments were provided with a noninvasive, wearable, pulsed electromagnetic field device (RecoveryRx, BioElectronics Corporation, Frederick, MD, USA). Patients used the included dressings to self-apply the 12 cm-diameter ringed antenna to their residual limb and then activated the device, which delivered nonthermal radiofrequency energy continuously for up to 30 days. Of the 12 individuals, 4 (33%) experienced minimal/no change, 7 (58%) rated their phantom and/or residual limb pain as "very much improved" at the conclusion of treatment, and 1 (8%) patient reported "moderate" improvement, using the Patient Global Impression of Change scale. Of the 8 responders, worst and average phantom limb pain improved a mean (SD) of 4.0 (2.9) and 4.2 (1.8) points on the 0 to 10 numeric rating scale, respectively. Worst and average residual limb pain improved 5.4 (3.7) and 3.5 (2.4) points, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These cases suggest that pulsed electromagnetic field therapy may be an effective treatment for intractable postamputation pain. Considering the low patient burden of noninvasive, wearable devices, combined with few contraindications and no significant side effects or adverse events, further study with a randomized, controlled trial is warranted

The association of Serratus Anterior Plane blocks with postoperative opioid use and analgesia following simple lumpectomy: a retrospective cohort analysis

BackgroundThe potential benefit of regional interventions for simple lumpectomy breast cancer surgeries has not been well investigated. Understanding which patients to not offer a regional intervention to can be just as important as knowing which would benefit. It is unclear whether fascial plane blocks, such as serratus anterior plane (SAP) block, should be routinely performed for less extensive breast surgeries. Therefore, our goal in this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the association of integrating SAP blocks into a standard perioperative multimodal analgesia plan in patients undergoing simple lumpectomies (without node biopsies) with perioperative opioid consumption. As secondary outcomes, we also analyzed postoperative pain scores and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) length of stay.MethodsThis was a single institution retrospective cohort study (surgical site infiltration only versus SAP block cohorts) assessing the association of SAP blocks to our outcomes of interest. In the adjusted analysis, we created matched cohorts using 1:1 (surgical site infiltration only: SAP block) propensity-score matching using nearest neighbor-matching without replacement. To compare the primary and secondary outcomes in the matched cohorts, we used the Wilcoxon signed rank test. A P-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.ResultsThere were 419 patients included in the analysis, in which 116 (27.7%) received a SAP block preoperatively in addition to our standard perioperative analgesia plan. In an unadjusted analysis, no differences were seen in perioperative opioid consumption, PACU pain scores, and PACU length of stay. Among the matched cohorts, the median [quartile] perioperative opioid consumption in the surgical site infiltration only versus SAP block cohorts were 10 mg [10, 13.25 mg] and 10 mg [7, 15 mg], respectively (P = 0.16). No differences were seen in the other outcomes.ConclusionsIn this study, we evaluated the impact of SAP blocks on patients undergoing simple lumpectomies, which are relatively less involved breast surgeries. We concluded that routine use of preoperative regional anesthesia is not beneficial for these specific patients. Future studies should focus on identifying patients that would directly benefit from regional interventions

Percutaneous auricular nerve stimulation (neuromodulation) for the treatment of pain: A proof-of-concept case report using total joint arthroplasty as a surrogate for battlefield trauma

BackgroundThere are few effective pain treatments following trauma on the battlefield other than opioids, which are limited by respiratory depression. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation ("neuromodulation") has been proposed as an analgesic, but requires physician-level skills, advanced equipment, and an hour to administer. In contrast, percutaneous auricular neuromodulation may be placed by a medic in the field under nonsterile conditions in a few minutes, theoretically provides analgesia for any anatomic location, has no side effects, and no significant risks. It therefore offers the potential to be applied quickly on the battlefield without any of the limitations of opioids. We propose total joint replacement as a surrogate for battlefield trauma and here present a case report to demonstrate proof of concept.MethodsFollowing open total knee or hip arthroplasty under spinal anesthesia, two patients had an auricular neuromodulation device applied within the recovery room. Patients were discharged with the unit and contacted daily for 7 days.ResultsThe devices were each applied in under 3 minutes without difficulty, were well tolerated during use, and removed without complication at home on Day 5. During use, neither patient experienced pain while lying, sitting, or ambulating. Neither required analgesics other than scheduled celecoxib; and a single tablet (50 mg) of tramadol for one patient on postoperative Days 3 and 4 for pain while lowering herself to a seated position. On Days 6 and 7, both patients experienced an increase in pain, one of whom required around-the-clock tramadol.ConclusionAmbulatory postoperative percutaneous auricular neuromodulation is feasible. In these two cases, it appears to have markedly reduced pain scores and opioid requirements free of systemic side effects during the week following major orthopedic surgery. Considering the potential of this modality to treat trauma on the battlefield without systemic side effects, additional investigation appears warranted.Level of evidenceTherapeutic/care management; Level V

Percutaneous Auricular Nerve Stimulation (Neuromodulation) for Analgesia and Opioid-Sparing Following Knee and Hip Arthroplasty: A Proof-of-Concept Case Series

We present a case series to demonstrate proof-of-concept for the off-label use of an auricular neuromodulation device-originally developed to treat symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal-to instead provide analgesia and opioid-sparing following knee and hip arthroplasties. Within the recovery room, an auricular neuromodulation device (near-field stimulator system 2 [NSS-2] Bridge, Masimo) was applied to 5 patients. Average daily pain at rest and while moving was a median of 0 to 2 as measured on the 0 to 10 numeric rating scale, while median daily oxycodone use was 0 to 2.5 mg until device removal at home on postoperative day 5. One patient avoided opioid use entirely

Predictive Analytics for Inpatient Postoperative Opioid Use in Patients Undergoing Mastectomy

IntroductionThe use of opioids in mastectomy patients is a particular challenge, having to balance the management of acute pain while minimizing risks of continuous opioid use postoperatively. Despite attempts to decrease postmastectomy opioid use, including regional anesthetics, gabapentinoids, topical anesthetics, and nonopioid anesthesia, prolonged opioid use remains clinically significant among these patients. The goal of this study is to identify risk factors and develop machine-learning-based models to predict patients who are at higher risk for postoperative opioid use after mastectomy.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we collected data from patients that underwent mastectomy procedures. The primary outcome of interest was defined as oxycodone milligram equivalents (OME) greater than or equal to the 75% of OME use on a postoperative day 1. Model performance (area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC)) of various machine learning approaches was calculated via 10-fold cross-validation. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were reported.ResultsThere were a total of 148 patients that underwent mastectomy and were included. The medium (quartiles) postoperative day 1 opioid use was 5 mg OME (0.25 mg OME). Using multivariable logistic regression, the most protective factors against higher opioid use was being postmenopausal (OR: 0.13, 95% CI: 0.03-0.61, p = 0.009) and cancer diagnosis (OR: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.05-0.73, p = 0.01). The AUC was 0.725 (95% CI: 0.572-0.876). There was no difference in the performance of other machine-learning-based approaches.ConclusionsThe ability to predict patients' postoperative pain could have a significant impact on preoperative counseling and patient satisfaction

Percutaneous auricular nerve stimulation (neuromodulation) for the treatment of pain following outpatient surgery: a proof-of-concept case series.

BackgroundFollowing outpatient surgery, it is often difficult to provide adequate analgesia while concurrently minimizing opioid requirements. Ultrasound-guided percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation has been proposed as an analgesic, but requires physician-level skills, advanced equipment, up to an hour to administer, and is frequently cost prohibitive. In contrast, percutaneous auricular neuromodulation may be placed by nursing staff in a few minutes without additional equipment, theoretically provides analgesia for nearly any anatomic location, lacks systemic side effects, and has no significant risks. We now present a case report to demonstrate proof of concept for the off-label use of an auricular neuromodulation device-originally developed to treat symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal-to instead provide analgesia following outpatient surgery.Case presentationFollowing moderately painful ambulatory orthopedic and breast surgery, seven patients had an auricular neuromodulation device (NSS-2 Bridge, Masimo, Irvine, California, USA) affixed within the recovery room in approximately 5 min and discharged home. Average resting and dynamic pain scores measured on the 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale were a median of 1 over the first 2 days, subsequently falling to 0. Five patients avoided opioid use entirely, while the remaining two each consumed 5 mg of oxycodone during the first 1-2 postoperative days. After 5 days, the devices were removed at home and discarded.ConclusionsThese cases demonstrate that ambulatory percutaneous auricular neuromodulation is feasible and may be an effective analgesic and decreasing or even negating opioid requirements following outpatient surgery. Considering the lack of systemic side effects, serious adverse events, and misuse/dependence/diversion potential, further study with a randomized, controlled trial appears warranted

State of the art opioid-sparing strategies for post-operative pain in adult surgical patients.

INTRODUCTION:There are various important implications associated with poorly controlled postoperative pain in the adult surgical patient - this includes cardiopulmonary complications, opioid-related side effects, unplanned hospital admissions, prolonged hospital stay, and the subsequent development of chronic pain or opioid addiction. With the ongoing national opioid crisis, it is imperative that perioperative providers implement pathways for surgical patients that reduce opioid requirements and pain-related complications. AREAS COVERED:In this review, the authors discuss the components of a multimodal opioid-sparing analgesia pathway as it pertains to the perioperative environment. Medications reviewed include gabapentinoids, acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ketamine, intravenous lidocaine, dexmedetomidine, and glucocorticoids. The use of peripheral nerve blocks and neuraxial analgesia are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION:In appropriate cases, regional anesthetic interventions are extremely useful for postoperative analgesia, including peripheral nerve blocks and neuraxial analgesia and while newer postoperative analgesics have been postulated, the literature on such is presently controversial. Coordinated approaches to pain management are recommended to reduce the need for opioids and to improve patient satisfaction post-surgery