Anaesthesia
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Review Meta Analysis
Paravertebral block and persistent postoperative pain after breast surgery: meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.
We examined whether paravertebral block has an effect on the prevalence of persistent postsurgical pain after breast surgery. Seven randomised, controlled trials (559 patients) which had the outcome assessor blinded were included, comparing patients who received paravertebral blocks after breast surgery with patients who did not. The risk ratio (95% CI) was 0.75 (0.48-1.15) for the incidence of postoperative pain at 3 months (four studies, 317 patients); the risk ratio (95% CI) obtained from three studies including 301 patients reporting on pain after 6 months was 0.57 (0.29-1.72), and the risk ratio (95% CI) for pain after 12 months (three trials, 237 patients) was 0.42 (0.15-1.23). ⋯ Our study is the first to evaluate data on pain 12 months postoperatively. Trial sequential analysis revealed that the current evidence is not sufficient to reach a conclusion. These findings stand in contrast to previous meta-analyses with fewer studies that had concluded that paravertebral block effectively reduces chronic pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomised, controlled, double-blind trial of ultrasound-guided phrenic nerve block to prevent shoulder pain after thoracic surgery.
Moderate to severe ipsilateral shoulder pain is a common complaint following thoracic surgery. In this prospective, parallel-group study at Odense University Hospital, 76 patients (aged > 18 years) scheduled for lobectomy or pneumonectomy were randomised 1:1 using a computer-generated list to receive an ultrasound-guided supraclavicular phrenic nerve block with 10 ml ropivacaine or 10 ml saline (placebo) immediately following surgery. A nerve catheter was subsequently inserted and treatment continued for 3 days. ⋯ Nine of 38 patients in the ropivacaine group and 26 of 38 patients in the placebo group experienced shoulder pain during the first 6 h after surgery (absolute risk reduction 44% (95% CI 22-67%), relative risk reduction 65% (95% CI 41-80%); p = 0.00009). No major complications, including respiratory compromise or nerve injury, were observed. We conclude that ultrasound-guided supraclavicular phrenic nerve block is an effective technique for reducing the incidence of ipsilateral shoulder pain after thoracic surgery.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
A randomised, controlled, double blind, non-inferiority trial of ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block vs. spinal morphine for analgesia after primary hip arthroplasty.
We performed a single centre, double blind, randomised, controlled, non-inferiority study comparing ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block with spinal morphine for the primary outcome of 24-h postoperative morphine consumption in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty under spinal anaesthesia with levobupivacaine. One hundred and eight patients were randomly allocated to receive either ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block with 2 mg.kg-1 levobupivacaine (fascia iliaca group) or spinal morphine 100 μg plus a sham ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block using saline (spinal morphine group). ⋯ Ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca block was significantly worse than spinal morphine in the provision of analgesia in the first 24 h after total hip arthroplasty. No increase in side-effects was noted in the spinal morphine group but the study was not powered to investigate all secondary outcomes.