Background:The use of opioids in surgeries for morbidly obese patients could cause respiratory depression. Therefore, alternative analgesics are needed to improve anesthetic management for obese patients. The objective of this study was to compare the effect of dexmedetomidine and clonidine on pain as well as analgesic consumption at 24 h postoperatively in patients undergoing laparoscopic gastric sleeve. The secondary objective was to compare patients’ and surgeons’ satisfaction.Materials and Methods:A total of 60 obese and morbidly obese patients scheduled to undergo laparoscopic gastric sleeve were randomly assigned into two groups. 10 min after induction of general anesthesia, one group received 0.8-1.2 μg/kg/30 min intravenous (IV) clonidine through 500 mL lactated Ringer's solution and placebo (normal saline solution) through syringe pump. The second group received IV dexmedetomidine through syringe pump at a rate 0.5-0.8 μg/kg/h and placebo through 500 mL lactated Ringer's solution. Data on pain, analgesic consumption, and return to normal activity in addition to patients’ and surgeons’ satisfaction were collected.Results:Both groups were similar with respect to demographic and intraoperative hemodynamic characteristics. Fentanyl consumption, surgery duration and hospital stay were similar for the two groups. Pain scores on walking were significantly lower in the clonidine group at 12 h postoperatively (P = 0.014) compared with dexmedetomidine group. The number of patients who consumed pethidine was significantly lower in the clonidine group at 12 h postoperatively (P = 0.045).Conclusion:This study concluded that clonidine and dexmedetomidine yielded similar outcomes with a difference in pain and analgesic consumption at 12 h postoperatively.
Summary
We report laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy in five awake obese patients, completed under regional anaesthesia provided by paravertebral and superficial cervical plexus blockade. The technique was acceptable to patients, surgeons and anaesthetists.
Objectives:
Myofascial pain is one of the most common causes of regional pain with no definitive treatment. This randomized clinical trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of deep cervical plexus block versus placebo injection (sham block) for the treatment of myofascial neck and shoulder pain in terms of analgesic consumption and pain during a follow-up period of 2 weeks after the block.
Materials and Methods:
Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group I (block) received deep cervical plexus block and group II (placebo) received normal saline. A total of 66 patients were included in the study, 34 patients in the block group and 32 patients in the placebo group.
Results:
Two weeks after the intervention, the average pain duration was significantly lower in the block group: 1.38±1.39 versus 5.25±1.72 for the block and placebo groups, respectively (P<0.0001). Pain intensity was significantly less in the block group such that 2.9% of patients in the block group had severe pain compared with 53.1% of patients in the placebo group (P<0.0001). Two weeks after receiving the block, the mean opioid consumption calculated as tramadol equivalent was 21.1±44.2 mg compared with 166.1±118.8 mg for the block and placebo groups, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that patients with a longer history of pain had a higher pain score after 2 weeks. The possibility of recovery is affected by pain duration as patients with a history of chronic pain were least affected by the block.
Discussion:
This technique could be an alternative to pharmacological and other nonpharmacological treatments for myofascial pain.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.