Best practice & research. Clinical anaesthesiology
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2017
ReviewDo we feel pain during anesthesia? A critical review on surgery-evoked circulatory changes and pain perception.
The difficulty of defining the three so-called components of « an-esthesia » is emphasized: hypnosis, absence of movement, and adequacy of anti-nociception (intraoperative « analgesia »). Data obtained from anesthetized animals or humans delineate the activation of cardiac and vasomotor sympathetic reflex (somato-sympathetic reflex) and the cardiac parasympathetic deactivation observed following somatic stimuli. Sympathetic activation and parasympathetic deactivation are used as monitors to address the adequacy of intraoperative anti-nociception. Finally, intraoperative nociception through the administration of nonopioid analgesics vs. opioid analgesics is considered to achieve minimal postoperative side effects.
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Best Pract Res Clin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2017
ReviewSpecial indications for Opioid Free Anaesthesia and Analgesia, patient and procedure related: Including obesity, sleep apnoea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, complex regional pain syndromes, opioid addiction and cancer surgery.
Opioid-free anaesthesia (OFA) is a technique where no intraoperative systemic, neuraxial or intracavitary opioid is administered with the anaesthetic. Opioid-free analgesia similarly avoids opioids in the perioperative period. There are many compelling reasons to avoid opioids in the surgical population. ⋯ Non-opioid adjuvants such as NSAIDS, paracetamol, magnesium, local anaesthetic infiltration and high-dose steroids are added in the perioperative period to further achieve co-analgesia. Loco-regional anaesthesia and analgesia are also maximised. It remains to be seen whether OFA and early postoperative analgesia, which similarly avoids opioids, can prevent the development of hyperalgesia and persistent postoperative pain syndromes.
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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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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
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.