METHODOLOGY: The study was designed as a double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 94 patients who underwent open thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy in Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, from November 2015 to November 2016. The study compared the efficacy of pre-incision wound infiltration of diclofenac (n = 47) versus bupivacaine (n = 47) in post-operative pain relief. Wound infiltration is given prior to skin incision. Mean pain score at designated time interval within the 24-h post-operative period, time to first analgesia, total analgesic usage and total analgesic cost were assessed.
RESULTS: Ninety-four patients were recruited with no dropouts. Mean age was 49.3 (SD = 14.2) with majority being female (74.5%). Ethnic distribution recorded 42.6% Chinese, 38.3% Malay, followed by 19.1% Indian. Mean duration of surgery was 123.8 min (SD = 56.5), and mean length of hospital stay was 4.7 days (SD = 1.8). The characteristics of patient in both groups were generally comparable except that there were more cases of total thyroidectomy in the diclofenac group (n = 31) as compared to the bupivacaine group (n = 16). Mean pain score peaked at immediate post-operative period (post-operative 0.5 h) with a score of 3.5 out of 10 and the level decreased steadily over the next 20 h starting from 4 h post-operatively. Pre-incision wound infiltration using diclofenac had better pain control as compared to bupivacaine at all time interval assessed. In the resting state, the mean post-operative pain score difference was statistically significant at 2 h [2.1 (SD = 1.5) vs. 2.8 (SD = 1.8), p = 0.04]. During neck movement, the dynamic pain score difference was statistically significant at post-operative 1 h [2.7 (SD = 1.9) vs. 3.7 (SD = 2.1), p = 0.02]; 2 h [2.7 (SD = 1.6) vs. 3.7 (SD = 2.0), p = 0.01]; 4 h [2.2 (SD = 1.5) vs. 2.9 (SD = 1.7), p = 0.04], 6 h [1.9 (SD = 1.4) vs. 2.5 (SD = 1.6), p = 0.04] and 12 h [1.5 (SD = 1.5) vs. 2.2 (SD = 1.4), p = 0.03]. Mean dose of tramadol used as rescue analgesia in 24 h duration was lower in the diclofenac group as compared to bupivacaine group [13.8 mg (SD = 24.9) vs. 36.2 mg (SD = 45.1), p = 0.01]. The total cost of analgesia used was significantly cheaper in diclofenac group as compared to bupivacaine group [RM 3.47 (SD = 1.51) vs. RM 13.43 (SD = 1.68), p
DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study.
SETTING: Operation theater with postoperative inpatient follow-up.
PATIENTS: The medical records of 315 patients who underwent sequential bilateral TKA were reviewed.
INTERVENTIONS: Patients who received intrathecal levobupicavaine 0.5% were compared with patients who received hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% with fentanyl 25 μg for spinal anesthesia.
MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was the use of rescue analgesia (systemic opioids, conversion to general anesthesia) during surgery for both groups. Secondary outcomes included adverse effects of local anesthetics (hypotension and bradycardia) during surgery and morbidity related to spinal anesthesia (postoperative nausea, vomiting, and bleeding) during hospital stay.
MAIN RESULTS: One hundred fifty patients who received intrathecal levobupivacaine 0.5% (group L) were compared with 90 patients given hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% with fentanyl 25 μg (group B). The mean volume of levobupivacaine administered was 5.8 mL (range, 5.0-6.0 mL), and that of bupivacaine was 3.8 mL (range, 3.5-4.0 mL). Both groups achieved similar maximal sensory level of block (T6). The time to maximal height of sensory block was significantly shorter in group B than group L, 18.2 ± 4.5 vs 23.9 ± 3.8 minutes (P< .001). The time to motor block of Bromage 3 was also shorter in group B (8.7 ± 4.1 minutes) than group L (16.0 ± 4.5 minutes) (P< .001). Patients in group B required more anesthetic supplement than group L (P< .001). Hypotension and postoperative bleeding were significantly less common in group L than group B.
CONCLUSION: Levobupivacaine at a higher dosage provided longer duration of spinal anesthesia with better safety profile in sequential bilateral TKA.
AIMS: This study was done to find out the most suitable anaesthesia for patients with fewer complications and also to look at the trend of anaesthesia being used.
METHODS: A retrospective analysis was done of patients who underwent cataract surgery from 2007 to 2014 in Hospital Melaka. Data were obtained from the National Eye Database and analysed using SPSS. Trend of types of anaesthesia used and the associated complications with each were studied.
RESULTS: The most frequently used anaesthesia was topical anaesthesia, which showed an upward trend followed by subtenon in turn showing a downward trend. Subtenon anaesthesia was associated with more intraoperative and postoperative complications while topical anaesthesia was associated with fewer complications.
CONCLUSIONS: Topical anaesthesia has shown a steady increase in usage and is the ideal anaesthesia, which has been associated with fewer complications.