Continuous intraoperative epidural infusions affect recovery room length of stay and analgesic requirements: a single-center observational study

作者：Shah Aalap C^*; Nair Bala G; Spiekerman Charles F; Bollag Laurent A

来源：Journal of Anesthesia, 2017, 31(4): 494-501.

DOI：10.1007/s00540-017-2316-4

• Pre-emptive analgesia
• Continuous epidural analgesia
• Post-operative pain control

Continuous intraoperative epidural analgesia may improve post-operative pain control and decrease opioid requirements. We investigate the effect of epidural infusion initiation before or after arrival in the post-anesthesia care unit on recovery room duration and post-operative opioid use.
We performed a retrospective chart review of abdominal, thoracic and orthopedic surgeries where an epidural catheter was placed prior to surgery at the University of Washington Medical Center during a 24 month period.
Patients whose epidural infusions were started prior to PACU arrival (Group 2: n = 540) exhibited a shorter PACU length of stay (p = .004) and were less likely to receive intravenous opioids in the recovery room (34 vs. 48%; p < .001) compared to patients whose infusions were started after surgery (Group 1: n = 374). Although the highest patient-reported pain scores were lower in Group 2 (5.3 vs. 6.0; p = .030), no differences in the pain scores prior to PACU discharge were observed.
Intraoperative continuous epidural infusions decrease PACU LOS as discharge criteria for patient-reported NRS pain scores are met earlier.

• 出版日期2017-8