Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2017
ReviewOpioid-related side effects: Postoperative ileus, urinary retention, nausea and vomiting, and shivering. A review of the literature.
Opioids are widely used in clinical anesthesia. However, side effects include postoperative nausea and vomiting, shivering, ileus, and urine retention and are specifically discussed here. From the available evidence, it appears that the use of opioids is strongly associated with impaired gastrointestinal motility. ⋯ Finally, the problem of postoperative shivering has been, at least partially, solved by the avoidance of (high doses) remifentanil and the use of alpha-2 agonists. In conclusion, postoperative urinary retention, postoperative ileus, nausea and vomiting, and shivering are complex problems seen after surgery. Management is possible, but prevention is possible with the avoidance of high doses of intraoperative opioids, conjointly to opioid-sparing techniques.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2017
ReviewStable anesthesia with alternative to opioids: Are ketamine and magnesium helpful in stabilizing hemodynamics during surgery? A systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials.
The role of ketamine and magnesium in improving postoperative pain and diminish opioid consumption has been largely described. Synthetic opioids are known to provide hemodynamic stability when given for major noncardiac surgery. Definitive evidence on the role of ketamine and/or magnesium on intraoperative hemodynamic control would support their potential as alternatives to opioids during surgery. ⋯ In conclusion, these meta-analyses of nine trials confirm that ketamine and magnesium, differently but consistently, reduce hemodynamic variability during surgery and may be seen as complementary not only for pain control but also to provide stable anesthesia. This study supports the use of those drugs to control the sympathetic response to surgery in the context of opioid-free anesthesia.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2017
ReviewOpioids, respiratory depression, and sleep-disordered breathing.
The increasing use of opioids in the perioperative period has increased opioid-associated morbidity and mortality. There is a well-established connection between opioids, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and respiratory depression. ⋯ More studies are required to evaluate the effective management and prevention of respiratory depression in patients with SDB. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge relating to the pathophysiology of respiratory depression by opioids and opioid-related respiratory depression and appraises the association between opioids and SDB.
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Lidocaine has analgesic effect and antihyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, which enable its use as a general anesthetic adjuvant. Lidocaine can reduce nociception and/or cardiovascular responses to surgical stress, postoperative pain, and/or analgesic requirements. However, its mechanisms of action remain unclear, despite its different known properties. ⋯ It clearly improves the postoperative outcomes with increased patient satisfaction. Such procedures should be included wisely in the enhanced recovery after surgery protocols. By using the recommended protocols, a high safety and efficacy of lidocaine can be achieved.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2017
ReviewOpioid-free anesthesia opioid side effects: Tolerance and hyperalgesia.
Opioids are the most potent drugs used to control severe pain. However, neuroadaptation prevents opioids' ability to provide long-term analgesia and produces opposite effects, i.e., enhancement of existent pain and facilitation of chronic pain development. Neuroadaptation to opioids use results in the development of two interrelated phenomena: tolerance and "opioid-induced hyperalgesia" (OIH). ⋯ Conversely, observations of improved patient's recovery after opioid-sparing anesthesia techniques stand as an indirect evidence that perioperative opioid administration deserves caution. To date, perioperative OIH has rarely been objectively assessed by psychophysics tests in patients. A direct relationship between the presence of perioperative OIH and patient outcome is missing and certainly deserves further studies.