Neuraxial analgesia in early labor did not increase the rate of cesarean delivery, and it provided better analgesia and resulted in a shorter duration of labor than systemic analgesia.

Dexamethasone demonstrated dose-dependent effects on quality of recovery. Dexamethasone 0.1 mg kg(-1) reduced opioid consumption compared with dexamethasone 0.05 mg kg(-1), which may be beneficial for improving recovery after ambulatory gynaecological surgery.

Systemic lidocaine improves postoperative quality of recovery in patients undergoing outpatient laparoscopy. Patients who received lidocaine had less opioid consumption, which translated to a better quality of recovery. Lidocaine is a safe, inexpensive, effective strategy to improve quality of recovery after ambulatory surgery.

The TAP block is an effective adjunct in a multimodal analgesic strategy for ambulatory laparoscopic procedures. TAP blocks with ropivacaine 0.25% and 0.5% reduced pain, decreased opioid consumption, and provided earlier discharge readiness that was associated with better quality of recovery.

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In a double blind study we compared the effects of i.m. ketamine with morphine on postoperative analgesia in children undergoing tonsillectomy. Eighty children (aged 6-15 yr) were randomized to receive either i.m. morphine 0.1-0.15 mg kg-1 or ketamine 0.5-0.6 mg kg-1, after induction of a standard general anaesthetic. Pain scores 30 min after extubation were higher (P < 0.05) in the ketamine group, but were similar thereafter to the morphine group. Mean (SD) times to recovery from anaesthesia were 20.1 (SD 6.5) min in the ketamine group compared to 14.2 (5.6) min in the morphine group (P < 0.01). There were no differences in supplemental analgesia requirements, or the incidence of vomiting or dreaming between the groups. We conclude that ketamine 0.5 mg kg-1 i.m. may be an alternative analgesic for children undergoing tonsillectomy.

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