UNVEILING THE ADVANTAGES: REDUCED OPIOID REQUIREMENT WITH CONTINUOUS EPIDURAL ANALGESIA - PILOT STUDY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55302/ymjz1525Keywords:
epidural analgesia, postoperative nausea and vomiting, visual analogue scaleAbstract
Introduction: Epidural anesthesia is particularly suitable for patients in older age brackets. While it was previously the predominant approach for postoperative analgesia across various procedures, alternative methods that are equally effective, potentially safer, and more cost-efficient have since emerged. This article will explore the advantages and drawbacks of continuous epidural analgesia intraoperatively, particularly its outcomes in specific surgical contexts.
Material and methods: The University Clinic for Traumatology, Orthopedics, Anesthesiology, Resuscitation, Intensive Care and Emergency Center, enrolled twenty patients in an observational clinical study over a six-months period to assess the comprehensive management of analgesia during the intraoperative and postoperative phases. After induction of GA, Bupivacaine 0.125% was administered by a continuous epidural infusion until the end of the surgery. Postoperative outcomes included assessing pain levels immediately after surgery, 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours later, as well as the incidence of postoperative complications, if any.
Results: The study enrolled twenty patients who underwent a combination of general anesthesia and epidural anesthesia. We measured the patients' postoperative pain, and the results showed that the most pain typically flares up three hours after surgery and then subsides over the next 24 hours. On the first day following surgery, the average VAS was 1.8. Postoperative nausea and vomiting occurred in every patient who had morphine administered as postoperative analgesia.
Conclusion: The study concludes that continuous epidural analgesia reduces the need for opioid use and mitigates the associated side effects.
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