No abstract

One hundred and three patients ASA grades I-II, 16-80 years of age scheduled for arthroscopic meniscectomy were prospectively studied, and randomly allocated to one of four groups: group 1 (n = 25): 0.25% bupivacaine (50 mg) intra-articular (IA), group 2 (n = 27): 1 mg of 0.1% preservative free morphine chloride in saline, group 3 (n = 26): 1 mg of 0.1% preservative free morphine chloride in 0.25% bupivacaine and group 4 (n = 25): normal saline (0.9%). The volume given was always 20 mL. Ketorolac [Toradol, 30 mg intramuscularly (i.m.)] was used as rescue medication; analgesia was assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS), a verbal rating scale (VRS), supplemental analgesic consumption post-operatively (SAC) and the presence of side effects. Verbal rating scale and visual analogue scale scores showed better pain control in group 1, 20 min after surgery, and in groups 1 and 2 at 4 h and 10 h as well as in the global VAS. In multifactorial analysis no significant differences among groups or side effects was found, pH analysis of the substances used showed no alterations in the basal pH range. The analgesic efficacy of 20 mL of bupivacaine 0.25% is similar to that of 1 mg of morphine in 20 mL of saline 0.9%. The morphine-bupivacaine mixture was no more efficacious than bupivacaine or morphine alone.

In order to further explore the preliminary findings provided by animal models and observational clinical studies that suggests there may be a beneficial effect of non-operative management versus operative management in high-grade blunt hepatic injury, large, high quality randomised trials are needed.

No abstract

Non-operative management is the treatment of choice for polytraumatized patients with blunt liver trauma who are hemodynamically stable. Non-operative management is an effective and safe treatment strategy. However, patients with an RTS score under 7.8 and other intra-abdominal non-liver injuries are at increased risk for an immediate surgical intervention.