SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF The Activities on these Portfolio Pages correspond with the learning objectives of the Guided Learning unit published in Nursing Times 104: 30 (29 July 2008) and 104; 31 (5 August 2008). The full reference list for this unit follows Activity 4. Before starting to work through these Activities, save this document onto your computer, then print the completed work for your professional portfolio. Alternatively, simply print the pages if you prefer to work on paper, using extra sheets as necessary. Recording your continuing professional education To make your work count as part of your five days’ CPD for each registration period, make a note in the box below of the date and the total number of hours you spent on reading the unit and any other relevant material, and working through the Activities. Hours: Date: ACTIVITY 1 Learning objective: Understand the role of spinal opioids in postoperative pain management. Activity: Consider which patients are suitable for spinal anaesthesia and analgesia and examine the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. RESPONSE Begin your response here. Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 11 1 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF ACTIVITY 2 Learning objective: Understand the importance of postoperative monitoring. Activity: Explain what observations are required postoperatively and why. In addition, evaluate the impact unrelieved postoperative pain may have on a patient, both in physiological and psychological terms. RESPONSE Begin your response here. Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 22 2 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF ACTIVITY 3 analgesia and examine the advantages and disadvantages of these methods. Learning objective: Understand the role of spinal opioids in postoperative pain management. RESPONSE Begin your response here. Activity: Consider which patients are suitable for spinal anaesthesia and Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 3 3 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF ACTIVITY 4 Learning objective: Be aware of the incidence and treatment of adverse effects of spinal opioids. Activity: Postoperative patients should not experience moderate or severe pain on movement after surgery. In your experience is this always the case? If not, why? RESPONSE Begin your response here. Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 4 4 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF FULL REFERENCE LIST following knee arthroplasty. British Journal of Anaesthesia; 85: 2, 233-7. Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and Faculty of Pain Medicine (ANZCA) (2005) Acute Pain Management: Scientific Evidence (2nd ed). www.anzca.edu.au/resources/books-andpublications/acutepain.pdf Coventry, D.M. (2007) Local Anaesthetic Techniques. In Aitkenhead, A.R. et al Textbook of Anaesthesia (5th ed). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Baxendale, B.R. (2007) Preoperative Assessment and Premedication. In Aitkenhead, A.R. et al Textbook of Anaesthesia (5th ed). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Beaussier, M. et al (2006) Postoperative analgesia and recovery course after major colorectal surgery in elderly patients: A randomised comparison between intrathecal morphine and intravenous PCA morphine. Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine; 31: 6, 531-538. Drakeford, M.K. et al (1991) Spinal narcotics for postoperative analgesia in total joint arthroplasty. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery; 73: 3, 424-428. Ene, K.W. et al (2007) Intrathecal analgesia for postoperative pain relief after radical prostatectomy. Acute Pain; 9: 6570. Fogarty, D.J., Milligan, K.R. (1995) Postoperative analgesia following total hip replacement: A comparison of intrathecal morphine and diamorphine. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine; 88: 70-72. Blay, M. et al (2006) Efficacy of low-dose intrathecal morphine for postoperative analgesia after abdominal aortic surgery: A double-blind randomised study. Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine; 31: 2, 127133. Gwirtz, K.H. et al (1999) The safety and efficacy of intrathecal opioid analgesia for acute postoperative pain: Seven years’ experience with 5969 surgical patients in an Indiana University Hospital. Anaesthesia and Analgesia; 88: 599-604. Bowrey, S. et al (2005) A comparison of 0.2mg and 0.5mg intrathecal morphine for postoperative analgesia after total knee replacement. Anaesthesia; 60: 449-452. Hindle, A. (2008) Intrathecal opioids in the management of acute postoperative pain. Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain; 8: 3, 81-85. Brennan, F.B. et al (2007) Pain management: A fundamental human right. Pain Medicine; 105: 1, 205-221. Horlocker, T.T. (2003) Regional anesthesia and anticoagulation in patients undergoing cardiothoracic and vascular surgery. Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia; 7: 4, 417-426. Candido K.D., Stevens, R.A. (2003) Postdural puncture headache: Pathophysiology, prevention and treatment. Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology; 17: 3, 451-469. Cole, P.J. et al (2000) Efficacy and respiratory effects of low-dose spinal morphine for postoperative analgesia Jacobson, L. et al (1989) Intrathecal methadone and morphine for postoperative analgesia: A comparison of the efficacy, duration and side effects. Anaesthesiology; 70: 742-746. Jacobson, L. et al (1988) A dose- Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 5 5 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF response study of intrathecal morphine: Efficacy, duration, optimal dose and side effects. Anaesthesia & Analgesia; 67: 1082-1088. Janowski, C.J. (2002) Neuraxial Anesthetic Techniques. In Raj, P.P. Textbook of Regional Anaesthesia. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone. Kanner, R.M. (2003) Pain Management Secrets (2nd ed). Philadelphia: Hanley and Belfus. Kehlet, H., Holte, K. (2001) Effect of postoperative analgesia on surgical outcome. British Journal of Anaesthesia; 87: 1 62-72. Koivuranta, M. et al (1997) A survey of postoperative nausea and vomiting. Anaesthesia; 52: 5, 443-449. Kong, S.K. et al (2002) Use of intrathecal morphine for postoperative pain relief after elective laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Anaesthesia; 57: 1168-1173. Lena, P. et al (2003) Intrathecal morphine and clonidine for coronary artery bypass grafting. British Journal of Anaesthesia; 90: 3, 300-3. Macintyre, P.E., Ready, B.L. (2001) Acute Pain Management, A Practical Guide (2nd ed). London: WB Saunders. McQuay, H.J., Moore, A. (1998) An Evidence-Based Resource For Pain Relief. Oxford: Oxford University Press. patients undergoing hip arthroplasty. Anaesthesia & Analgesia; 97: 1709-15. Naumann, C. et al (1999) Drug adverse events and system complications of intrathecal opioid delivery for pain: Origins, detection, manifestations and management. Neuromodulation; 2: 2, 92107. Neal, J.M. (1998) Update on postdural puncture headache. Techniques in Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Management; 2: 202-210 Pickering, S.A.W. et al (2003) Electromagnetic augmentation of antibiotic efficacy in infection of orthopaedic implants. The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery; 85-B: 4, 588-593. Power, I., Atcheson, R. (2007) Postoperative pain. In Aitkenhead, A.R. et al (2007) Textbook of Anaesthesia (5th ed). Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone. Rathmell, J.P. et al (2005) The role of intrathecal drugs in the treatment of acute pain. Anaesthesia & Analgesia; 101: S3043. Rathmell, J.P. et al (2003) Intrathecal morphine for postoperative analgesia: A randomised, controlled, dose-ranging study after hip and knee arthroplasty. Anaesthesia & Analgesia; 97: 1452-7. Rawal, N. (2007) Regional anesthesia complications related to acute pain management. In Finucane, B.T. (ed) (2007) Complications of Regional Anesthesia (2nd edition) New York: Springer. Motamed, C. et al (2000) Analgesic effects of low dose intrathecal morphine and bupivacaine in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Anaesthesia; 55: 118124. Rawal, N. (2003) Intraspinal Opioids. In Rowbotham, D.J., Macintyre, P.E. (2003) Clinical Pain Management: Acute Pain. London: Arnold. Murphy, P.M. et al (2003) Optimizing the dose of intrathecal morphine in older Rawal, N. (1999) Epidural and spinal agents for postoperative analgesia. Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 6 6 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF Surgical Clinics of North America; 79: 2, 313-344. Rawal, N., Allvin, R. (1996) Epidural and intrathecal opioids for postoperative pain management in Europe – A 17 nation questionnaire study of selected hospitals. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica; 40: 1119-1126. Riad, T. et al (2002) Intrathecal morphine compared with diamorphine for postoperative analgesia following unilateral knee arthroplasty. Acute Pain; 4: 5-8. Safa-Tisseront, V. et al (2001) Effectiveness of epidural blood patch in the management of post dural puncture headache. Anesthesiology; 95: 2, 334-339. Sakai, T. et al (2003) Mini-dose (0.05mg) intrathecal morphine provides effective analgesia after transurethral resection of the prostate. Regional Anaesthesia and Pain; 50: 10, 1027-1030. Slappendel, R. et al (1999) Optimization of the dose of intrathecal morphine in total hip surgery: A dose finding study. Anaesthesia & Analgesia; 88: 822-6. Stoelting, R.K., Hillier, S.C. (2006) Pharmacology & Physiology in Anesthetic Practice (4th ed), Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins. Tan, P.H. et al (2001) Intrathecal bupivacaine with morphine or neostigmine for postoperative analgesia after total knee replacement surgery. Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia; 48: 6, 551-6. Togal, T. et al (2004) Combination of lowdose (0.1mg) intrathecal morphine and patient-controlled intravenous morphine in the manangement of postoperative pain following abdominal hysterectomy. Pain Clinic; 16: 3, 335-341. Urban, M.K. et al (2002) Reduction in postoperative pain after spinal fusion with instrumentation using intrathecal morphine. Spine; 27: 5, 535-37. Viscomi, C.M. (2004) Spinal Anesthesia. In Rathmell, J.P. et al (eds) The Requisites in Anesthesiology. Philadelphia: Elsevier. Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 7 7 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF ADDITIONAL MATERIAL AND TABLES Table 1. Definition of terms Term Spinal anaesthesia Spinal analgesia Epidural analgesia Definition Sensory and motor blockade induced by the injection of local anaesthetic into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) The administration of opioid analgesia into the CSF often given in combination with spinal anaesthesia The administration of local anaesthetic with or without opioid analgesia into the epidural space to induce sensory and preferably not motor blockade. Usually used in the postoperative period Anatomy Spinal cord/CSF The brain and spinal cord are covered by the three layered meninges - the dura, arachnoid and pia mater. The pia mater is the innermost layer which adheres to the surface of the brain and spinal cord. The dura mater forms the outermost meninges and the arachnoid mater lies just below the dura - both form the dural sac. The intrathecal or subarachnoid space is beyond the dura and contains cerebrospinal fluid (Viscomi, 2004). The epidural space contains fat, nerve roots and blood vessels lying outside the meninges between the dura mater and the bones and ligaments of the spinal canal. Local anaesthetic or analgesic drugs may be administered via a needle into the CSF (to produce spinal anaesthesia or analgesia) or into the epidural space (to provide epidural anaesthesia or analgesia). Mode of delivery One-off injection One-off injection Continuous infusion via indwelling epidural catheter Pain pathways Nociceptor (pain) input is conducted from peripheral sites to the spinal cord via primary afferent A delta and C nerve fibres. These synapse in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and pain impulses are then transmitted upwards in groups of neurones (anterior and lateral spinothalamic tracts) to the brain via the ascending pathway (Power and Atcheson, 2007). The dorsal horns contain a high concentration of opioid receptors. These are present pre- and post-synaptically and have an inhibitory effect on pain transmission. Pain impulses may be blocked by local anaesthetics, opioids and other drugs acting at other receptors, for example, clonidine or ketamine (Rawal, 1999). Analgesia is derived by specific opioid receptor binding in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and by non-specific sites in the white matter. Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 8 8 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF Table 2. Spinal opioid dose ranges Opioid Morphine Fentanyl Diamorphine Dose range 50–500 mcg 5-25 mcg 500-1000 mcg Duration of action Up to 24 hours 1-4 hours 12-18 hours Table 3. Suggested optimal dose of spinal morphine Procedure Total knee arthroplasty Hip arthroplasty Hip and knee surgery (studies combined patients in sample group) Colorectal surgery Abdominal hysterectomy Laparoscopic colorectal surgery Laparoscopic cholecystectomy Spinal fusion Transurethral resection of prostate Radical prostatectomy Coronary artery bypass surgery Nephrectomy Abdominal aortic surgery Dose M 300mcg (Riad et al, 2002) M 300mcg (Tan et al, 2001) M 300mcg (Cole et al, 2000) M 500mcg (Bowrey et al, 2005) M 100mcg (Murphy et al, 2003) M 100mcg (Slappendel et al, 1999) M 200mcg (Niemi et al, 1993) M 1.0mg (Fogarty and Milligan, 1995) M 200mcg plus morphine PCA (Rathmell et al, 2003) M 300mcg or 1mg (Jacobson et al, 1988) M 400–500mcg (Gwirtz et al, 1999) M 500mcg (Drakeford et al, 1991) M 500mcg or 1mg (Jacobson et al, 1989) M 300mcg plus morphine PCA (Beaussier et al, 2006) M 100mcg plus morphine PCA (Togal et al, 2004) M 400-500mcg (Gwirtz et al, 1999) M 200mcgmorphine (Kong et al, 2002) M 75 or 100mcg (Motamed et al, 2000) M 20mcg/kg (Urban et al, 2001) M 50mcg (Sakai et al, 2003) M 200-300mcg (Gwirtz et al, 1999) M 100-200mcg (Ene et al, 2007) M 4mcg/kg morphine + clonidine 1mcg/kg (Lena et al 2003) M 600–650mcg (Gwirtz et al, 1999) M 200mcgplus IV nefopam and morphine (Blay et al, 2006) Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 9 9 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF Interpreting the studies There are a number of problems in the interpretation of these findings, principally because study methodology was inconsistent. Specifically, pain assessment measurement tools were not standardised and included assessment at rest and on movement (Tan et al, 2001; Fogarty and Milligan, 1995; Niemi et al, 1993). In addition, rescue analgesia was given on patient request in some studies and according to pre-assigned pain scores in others. The administration of supplementary analgesia at a pre-determined pain score (such as VAS >40) is a more valid and reliable measurement of additional analgesic need (Bowrey et al, 2005; Tan et al, 2001). to procedure. Typically, patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery required a greater dose of morphine to achieve effective analgesia than those having total hip replacement (Rathmell et al, 2003). This is likely related to the greater degree of mobility required in the prosthetic knee joint than is needed in a prosthetic hip joint. Scrutiny of the type of surgeries in Table 3 reveals that it has not been widely used for patients undergoing major abdominal surgery that involves a midline laparotomy. The few studies in this area have concluded that it has a limited role because analgesia will be typically required via the parenteral route for 4-5 days. These studies failed to show any beneficial effect of spinal analgesia on the postoperative recovery course (Beaussier et al, 2006). It is also apparent that the dose requirement varies from procedure Box 1. Contraindications for spinal anaesthetic and a spinal opioid (Coventry, 2007) Untrained medical or nursing staff Patient unwilling to consent Generalised or local sepsis Anticoagulant therapy Thrombocytopenia or clotting disorder Central or spinal neurological disease/raised intracranial pressure Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 10 10 SPINAL OPIOIDS IN POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF Box 2. Clinical requirements for the use of spinal opioids (based on guidance developed at Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, 2006) Appropriate protocols for the administration and postoperative patient monitoring Regular review (at least daily) by member of the acute pain service or anaesthetist 24-hour access to on-call anaesthetist should the need arise for advice on treatment of side- effects or inadequate analgesia Provision of rescue analgesia and treatment for side-effects Standardised prescriptions Education for nursing and medical staff Provision for suitable titration onto alternative analgesic once the effect of spinal opioid has diminished Patients able to tolerate oral analgesia within 18-24 hours after surgery. Box 3. Nursing care (based on adult guidance developed by the acute pain service at Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, 2006) Patent IV cannula Observations of blood pressure, pulse, pain, sedation, nausea, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation level should be initiated half-hourly for two hours, then two-hourly thereafter up to 24 hours Regular paracetamol, IV/PR or PO should be prescribed 1g qds If indicated, regular NSAID for example, diclofenac 50mg tds can be administered If rescue analgesia is needed within the first 24 hours then consider giving tramadol 50-100mg qds or codeine phosphate 30-60mg qds. Nursing Times Portfolio Pages: Spinal opioids in postoperative pain relief 11 11