Current pharmaceutical design
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Multimodal, non-opioid based analgesia has become the cornerstone of ERAS protocols for effective analgesia after spinal surgery. Opioid side effects, dependence and legislation restricting long term opioid use has led to a resurgence in interest in opioid sparing techniques. The increasing array of multimodal opioid sparing analgesics available for spinal surgery targeting novel receptors, transmitters, and altering epigenetics can help provide an optimal perioperative experience with less opioid side effects and long-term dependence. ⋯ Such mechanisms are complex, dynamic and responsive to environment. Alterations that occur can affect the pathophysiology of pain management at a DNA level, modifying perceived pain relief. In this review, we provide a brief overview of epigenetics of pain, systemic local anesthetics and neuraxial techniques that continue to remain useful for spinal surgery, neuropathic agents, as well as other common and less common target receptors for a truly multimodal approach to perioperative pain management.
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Opioid-free anesthesia is revolutionizing anesthetic practices for its potential benefits in selected patients. Opioid-free anesthesia represents a step forward in anesthetic practice as it has been suggested to provide potential clinical benefits for selected patients. Opioid-free anesthesia spares the use of opioids and involves the administration of multiple adjuvant anesthetics, which may have an impact on cancer progression. ⋯ Assessing the role of anesthetics in immunomodulation in the surgical setting is challenging, and results are often contradictory. Indeed, there is a scarcity of data of studies on humans, which hinder the interpretation of results. However, promising evidence has been published that cancer progression can be delayed by the administration of specific anesthetic agents.
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Endogenous opioids are neuropeptides involved in pain-relieving processes. In the periphery, they are synthesised and stored in cells of the immune system. ⋯ Multidrug pain management including lidocaine seems to be more efficient than models without lidocaine. The endogenous opioid system should be considered as a novel target for pain relief therapy in children.
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Despite the long history of paediatric anaesthesia, there is still much to be discovered regarding how exposure to anaesthesia affects the developing brain. Given that commonly used anaesthetic agents are thought to exert their effect via N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) and gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) receptors, it is biologically plausible that exposure during periods of vulnerable brain development may affect long term outcome. ⋯ Human studies are emerging and ongoing and their results are producing conflicting data. The purpose of this review is to summarize the currently available evidence and consider how this may be used to minimize harm to the paediatric population undergoing anaesthesia.
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Based on animal data only, some clinicians have adopted propofol-based anesthesia for cancer surgery with the aim of increased survival. ⋯ The infrastructure and organization work smoothly at the different contributing centers. Protocol adherence is good, and the monitors are satisfied. We expect this trial to be able to either verify or refute that propofol is better than sevoflurane for cancer surgery.