• Jacob C Freys, Stephan M Bigalke, Moritz Mertes, Dileep N Lobo, Esther M Pogatzki-Zahn, Stephan M Freys, and The PROSPECT Working Group of the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy (ESRA) .
• From the Department of Surgery, Agaplesion Bethesda Krankenhaus Hamburg (JCF), Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany (EMP-Z, MM), Gastrointestinal Surgery, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Centre and National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust and University of Nottingham (DNL), MRC Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom (DNL), Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive and Pain Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, BG-University Hospital Bergmannsheil gGmbH, Bochum (SMB) and Department of Surgery, DIAKO Ev. Diakonie-Krankenhaus, Bremen, Germany (SMF).
• Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2024 Mar 1; 41 (3): 174187174-187.

BackgroundDespite being a commonly performed surgical procedure, pain management for appendicectomy is often neglected because of insufficient evidence on the most effective treatment options.ObjectiveTo provide evidence-based recommendations by assessing the available literature for optimal pain management after appendicectomy.Design And Data SourcesThis systematic review-based guideline was conducted according to the PROSPECT methodology. Relevant randomised controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses in the English language from January 1999 to October 2022 were retrieved from MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Databases using PRISMA search protocols.Eligibility CriteriaWe included studies on adults and children. If articles reported combined data from different surgeries, they had to include specific information about appendicectomies. Studies needed to measure pain intensity using a visual analogue scale (VAS) or a numerical rating scale (NRS). Studies that did not report the precise appendicectomy technique were excluded.ResultsOut of 1388 studies, 94 met the inclusion criteria. Based on evidence and consensus, the PROSPECT members agreed that basic analgesics [paracetamol and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)] should be administered perioperatively for open and laparoscopic appendicectomies. A laparoscopic approach is preferred because of lower pain scores. Additional recommendations for laparoscopic appendicectomies include a three-port laparoscopic approach and the instillation of intraperitoneal local anaesthetic. For open appendicectomy, a preoperative unilateral transverse abdominis plane (TAP) block is recommended. If not possible, preincisional infiltration with local anaesthetics is an alternative. Opioids should only be used as rescue analgesia. Limited evidence exists for TAP block in laparoscopic appendicectomy, analgesic adjuvants for TAP block, continuous wound infiltration after open appendicectomy and preoperative ketamine and dexamethasone. Recommendations apply to children and adults.ConclusionThis review identified an optimal analgesic regimen for open and laparoscopic appendicectomy. Further randomised controlled trials should evaluate the use of regional analgesia and wound infiltrations with adequate baseline analgesia, especially during the recommended conventional three-port approach.RegistrationThe protocol for this study was registered with the PROSPERO database (Registration No. CRD42023387994).Copyright © 2024 European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.

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