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Journal of Personalized Medicine May 2024Red hair has been linked to altered sensitivity to pain, analgesics, and hypnotics. This alteration may be impacted by variants in the melanocortin-1 receptor () gene,... (Review)
Review
Red hair has been linked to altered sensitivity to pain, analgesics, and hypnotics. This alteration may be impacted by variants in the melanocortin-1 receptor () gene, which are mainly found in redheads. The aim of this narrative review was to explore and present the current state of knowledge on red hair and its plausible associations with altered responsiveness to pain, analgesics, and hypnotics. Structured searches in the PubMed, CINAHL Complete, and Scopus electronic databases were conducted. Evidence suggests that women with red hair have an increased sensitivity to pain. Conversely, data also indicate a higher pain tolerance in homozygous carriers of variant alleles. Varied responses to analgesia have been reported, with both increased analgesic responsiveness in homozygous carriers of variant alleles and less analgesia in redheads. Data indicate an increased need for hypnotics in redheads. However, failed attempts to find statistical associations between red hair and altered responsiveness to hypnotics are also evident. Even though there seems to be an association between red hair and an altered responsiveness to pain, analgesics, and/or hypnotics, the results of this narrative review are inconclusive. Further research studies with larger populations and testing are needed.
PubMed: 38929804
DOI: 10.3390/jpm14060583 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jun 2024Labor epidural analgesia can be maintained through programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB), continuous epidural infusion (CEI), or patient-controlled epidural...
Labor epidural analgesia can be maintained through programmed intermittent epidural bolus (PIEB), continuous epidural infusion (CEI), or patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA). Our department changed from CEI+PCEA to PIEB+PCEA as the maintenance method. The higher hourly dose setting in the current regimen brought to our concern that side effects would increase with proportional staff workloads. This study aimed to investigate the validity of our proposal that PIEB+PCEA may function as a feasible tool in reducing the amount of work in the obstetrics anesthesia units. This 2-year retrospective review included parturients with vaginal deliveries under epidural analgesia. We compared the staff burden before and after the switch from CEI (6 mL/h, PCEA 6 mL lockout 15 min, group A) to PIEB (8 mL/h, PCEA 8 mL lockout 10 min, group B). The primary outcome was the difference of proportion of parturients requiring unscheduled visits between groups. Side effects and labor and neonatal outcomes were compared. Of the 694 parturients analyzed, the proportion of those requiring unscheduled visits were significantly reduced in group B (20.8% vs. 27.7%, chi-square test, = 0.033). The multivariate logistic regression showed that PIEB was associated with fewer unscheduled visits than CEI (OR = 0.53, 95% CI [0.36-0.80], < 0.01). Group B exhibited a significantly lower incidence of asymmetric blockade, as well as motor blockade. In nulliparous subjects, obstetric anal sphincter injury occurred less frequently when PIEB+PCEA was used. Significantly more multiparous women experienced vacuum extraction delivery in group B than in group A, and they had a longer second stage of labor. The PIEB+PCEA protocol in our study reduced workloads in labor epidural analgesia as compared to CEI+PCEA, despite that a higher dose of analgesics was administered. Future studies are warranted to investigate the effect of manipulating the PIEB settings on the labor outcomes.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Adult; Retrospective Studies; Analgesia, Epidural; Analgesia, Obstetrical; Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; Workload; Labor, Obstetric
PubMed: 38929610
DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060993 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) May 2024: This study explored how nefopam, a non-opioid analgesic in a multimodal regimen, impacts postoperative pain, opioid use, and recovery quality in single-port... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Impact of Intraoperative Nefopam on Postoperative Pain, Opioid Use, and Recovery Quality with Parietal Pain Block in Single-Port Robotic Cholecystectomy: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial.
: This study explored how nefopam, a non-opioid analgesic in a multimodal regimen, impacts postoperative pain, opioid use, and recovery quality in single-port robot-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy (RALC) patients with a parietal pain block, addressing challenges in postoperative pain management. : Forty patients scheduled for elective single-port RALC were enrolled and randomized to receive either nefopam or normal saline intravenously. Parietal pain relief was provided through a rectus sheath block (RSB). Postoperative pain was assessed using a numeric rating scale (NRS) in the right upper quadrant (RUQ) of the abdomen, at the umbilicus, and at the shoulder. Opioid consumption and recovery quality, measured using the QoR-15K questionnaire, were also recorded. : The 40 patients had a mean age of 48.3 years and an average body mass index (BMI) of 26.2 kg/m. There were no significant differences in the pre- or intraoperative variables between groups. Patients receiving nefopam reported significantly lower RUQ pain scores compared to the controls, while the umbilicus and shoulder pain scores were similar. Rescue fentanyl requirements were lower in the nefopam group in both the PACU and ward. The QoR-15K questionnaire scores for nausea and vomiting were better in the nefopam group, but the overall recovery quality scores were comparable between the groups. : Nefopam reduces RUQ pain and opioid use post-single-port RALC with a parietal pain block without markedly boosting RSB's effect on umbilicus or shoulder pain. It may also better manage postoperative nausea and vomiting, underscoring its role in analgesia strategies for this surgery.
Topics: Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Female; Pain, Postoperative; Prospective Studies; Nefopam; Analgesics, Opioid; Robotic Surgical Procedures; Adult; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; Nerve Block; Pain Management; Pain Measurement; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
PubMed: 38929465
DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060848 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jun 2024This study assessed the analgesic and motor effects of the GIN-TONIC block, a combination of the greater ischiatic notch plane block and the caudal lateral quadratus...
Ultrasound-Guided Greater Ischiatic Notch Plane Block Combined with the Caudal Quadratus Lumborum Block (GIN-TONIC Block) in Dogs Undergoing Pelvic Limb Surgery: Preliminary Results.
This study assessed the analgesic and motor effects of the GIN-TONIC block, a combination of the greater ischiatic notch plane block and the caudal lateral quadratus lumborum block, in 24 dogs undergoing pelvic limb surgery. Dogs were randomly divided into two equal groups: G received acepromazine [(20 µg kg intravenously (IV)] as premedication, and G received dexmedetomidine (2 µg kg IV). General anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane, and both groups received a GIN-TONIC block using 2% lidocaine. Nociception during surgery and postoperative pain [assessed using the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Score (GCMPS-SF)] were assessed. Fentanyl (2 µg kg IV) was administered if nociception was noted and morphine (0.5 mg kg IV) was administered during recovery if the pain scores exceeded the predefined threshold. Motor function was assessed during the recovery period using descriptors previously reported. All dogs received analgesics at the 4 h mark before being discharged. Three and two dogs in G and G required fentanyl once. Postoperative pain scores remained ≤4/20 for all dogs except one. Dogs achieved non-ataxic ambulation within 38.9 ± 10.3 and 35.1 ± 11.1 min after extubation in G and G, respectively. This study highlighted the potential of the GIN-TONIC block as a feasible regional anesthesia method for delivering perioperative analgesia in dogs undergoing pelvic limb orthopedic surgery.
PubMed: 38929383
DOI: 10.3390/ani14121764 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jun 2024The rectus sheath block is an ultrasound-guided anaesthetic technique which aims to provide analgesia to the abdominal midline. This study aimed to assess the...
The rectus sheath block is an ultrasound-guided anaesthetic technique which aims to provide analgesia to the abdominal midline. This study aimed to assess the distribution of 0.4 mL kg of a mixture of methylene blue and iopromide injected into each hemiabdomen in the internal rectus sheath in cat cadavers. We hypothesise that this technique would be feasible and would cover the rami ventrales of the last thoracic and the first lumbar spinal nerves. The study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 aimed to study the anatomical structures of the ventral abdominal wall (four cats were dissected). Phase 2 (ten cadavers) consisted of an ultrasound-guided injection of the mixture mentioned above and the assessment of its distribution by computed tomography and anatomical dissection. The results showed the staining of the cranioventral abdominal wall with a craniocaudal spread of four (three to eight) vertebral bodies. Methylene blue stained three (one to four) rami ventrales, affecting T10 (60%), T11 (100%), T12 (90%), T13 (50%) and L1 (5%). Based on these results, it could be stated that this technique could supply anaesthesia to the midline of the abdominal midline cranial to the umbilicus in clinical patients, but it may not be able to provide anaesthesia to the middle and caudal midline abdominal region.
PubMed: 38929362
DOI: 10.3390/ani14121743 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jun 2024The ovariectomy (OVE) procedure can trigger somatosensory and visceral peritoneal nociception. Sacrococcygeal epidural (ScE) anesthesia may complement or replace...
The ovariectomy (OVE) procedure can trigger somatosensory and visceral peritoneal nociception. Sacrococcygeal epidural (ScE) anesthesia may complement or replace systemic analgesia used for feline OVE, reducing opioid consumption and their related undesirable adverse effects and consequently reducing or completely blocking the sympathetic nervous system activation during this procedure. The present study aimed to evaluate the activation of the sympathetic nervous system resulting from adding an ScE injection of bupivacaine 0.25% (0.3 mL kg) in feline OVE and identify whether this translates to hemodynamic variables stability. A Parasympathetic Tone Activity (PTA) monitor was applied given that it performs analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) detecting changes in sympathetic and parasympathetic tone, making it a good tool for detecting activation of the sympathetic nervous system during the study. Two groups of animals were evaluated in five perioperative times, namely, the control group (CG) (n = 18) with systemic analgesia alone and the sacrococcygeal epidural group (ScEG) (n = 20) with 0.25% bupivacaine combined with systemic analgesia. Thirty-eight female cats were selected. All animals assigned to CG and ScEG were premedicated with dexmedetomidine (20 μg kg IM) and methadone (0.2 mg kg IM). General anesthesia was induced with propofol IV ad effectum and maintained with isoflurane in 100% oxygen. Heart rate, non-invasive systolic and median blood pressure, respiratory rate, and instantaneous parasympathetic tone activity were recorded. Compared to systemic analgesia alone (CG), sacrococcygeal epidural (ScEG) reduced the rise of common hemodynamic variables but did not prevent sympathetic nervous system activation.
PubMed: 38929350
DOI: 10.3390/ani14121732 -
Brain Sciences May 2024Research supports the efficacy of therapeutic hypnosis for reducing acute and chronic pain. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these effects. This... (Review)
Review
Research supports the efficacy of therapeutic hypnosis for reducing acute and chronic pain. However, little is known about the mechanisms underlying these effects. This paper provides a review of the evidence regarding the role that electroencephalogram-assessed bandwidth power has in identifying who might benefit the most from hypnotic analgesia and how these effects occur. Findings are discussed in terms of the slow wave hypothesis, which posits that brain activity in slower bandwidths (e.g., theta and alpha) can facilitate hypnosis responsivity. Although the extant research is limited by small sample sizes, the findings from this research are generally consistent with the slow wave hypothesis. More research, including and especially studies with larger sample sizes, is needed to confirm these preliminary positive findings.
PubMed: 38928559
DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060557 -
International Journal of Molecular... Jun 2024Pain management in neonates continues to be a challenge. Diverse therapies are available that cause loss of pain sensitivity. However, because of side effects, the...
Pain management in neonates continues to be a challenge. Diverse therapies are available that cause loss of pain sensitivity. However, because of side effects, the search for better options remains open. Dexmedetomidine is a promising drug; it has shown high efficacy with a good safety profile in sedation and analgesia in the immature nervous system. Though dexmedetomidine is already in use for pain control in neonates (including premature neonates) and infants as an adjunct to other anesthetics, the question remains whether it affects the neuronal activity patterning that is critical for development of the immature nervous system. In this study, using the neonatal rat as a model, the pharmacodynamic effects of dexmedetomidine on the nervous and cardiorespiratory systems were studied. Our results showed that dexmedetomidine has pronounced analgesic effects in the neonatal rat pups, and also weakly modified both the immature network patterns of cortical and hippocampal activity and the physiology of sleep cycles. Though the respiration and heart rates were slightly reduced after dexmedetomidine administration, it might be considered as the preferential independent short-term therapy for pain management in the immature and developing brain.
Topics: Dexmedetomidine; Animals; Rats; Animals, Newborn; Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; Analgesia; Pain Management; Male; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Pain; Heart Rate; Female; Nervous System
PubMed: 38928091
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126385 -
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Jun 2024Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a frequent disease. It is a critical health concern that can influence functional capacity by restricting living activities.
BACKGROUND
Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a frequent disease. It is a critical health concern that can influence functional capacity by restricting living activities.
OBJECTIVES
The current study is to investigate the effects of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (TVNs) in the management of CLBP.
METHODS
We searched the databases on Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Pedro for randomized clinical trial (RCT) studies published in any language that looked at the effectiveness of TVNs in people with chronic LBP. The inclusion criteria were PICO. Participants in the research were people (≥ 18 years) diagnosed with persistent low back pain for more than 3 months. Study quality was assessed using Cochrane ROB 2.
RESULTS
Our database search found 1084 RCT. A number of studies that were not necessary for the issue were removed, and the overall outcome was six trials. Risk of bias (ROB) evaluations at the study level (derived from outcomes) are reported. In the six studies, two (33.3%) had an overall uncertain ROB (i.e., some concerns), whereas one (16.7%) had a high overall ROB. Three trials (50%) had a low overall RoB.
CONCLUSION
There is still no evidence to support the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation as a viable therapeutic rehabilitation strategy. Therefore, we recommend high-quality trials and long-term follow-up to evaluate disability, quality of life, and pain outcomes in these patients.
Topics: Humans; Low Back Pain; Vagus Nerve Stimulation; Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation; Chronic Pain; Treatment Outcome; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Pain Measurement
PubMed: 38926726
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-024-07569-w -
Veterinary Sciences Jun 2024Surgical neutering in pet rabbits is common practice to prevent reproduction and associated health issues. Adequate postoperative pain management is crucial for...
Surgical neutering in pet rabbits is common practice to prevent reproduction and associated health issues. Adequate postoperative pain management is crucial for recovery, yet effective methods in clinical settings remain underexplored. This study compared the analgesic effects of carprofen and meloxicam in pet rabbits undergoing surgical neutering. Fifty rabbits of varied demographics were included, with pain assessed using the Centro Animali Non Convenzionali Rabbit Scale (CANCRS). Rabbits were allocated to receive postoperative 2 mg kg carprofen or 1 mg kg meloxicam by subcutaneous injection. Anesthesia was induced with an intramuscular combination of ketamine (20 mg kg), medetomidine (0.4 mg kg), and butorphanol (0.2 mg kg), and ovariectomy or orchiectomy were performed. The CANCRS scale was used to assess pain by evaluating the rabbit preoperatively, 6 h postoperatively, and at three time points the following day. Times of return to spontaneous feeding and fecal production were also recorded. No statistically significant difference was found between treatment groups based on CANCRS scores and resumption of food intake and fecal output. No clinically detectable adverse effects were noted. While limitations include the use of a single pain assessment scale and the absence of a placebo control group, the results suggest that both carprofen and meloxicam can be viable options in clinical practice. Further research utilizing diverse pain assessment methods is warranted to enhance understanding and optimize pain management strategies for rabbits undergoing surgical procedures.
PubMed: 38922004
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci11060257