Pain management & opioid dose reduction with topical sevoflurane instillations in intractable venous ulcers: a case report

Abstract Vascular ulcers (VU) constitute a major cause of pain and disability, and significantly compromise quality of life. VU have a natural tendency to become chronic and in many cases exhibit anunsatisfactoryresponse to many of the standard therapeutic options.The case of a 73 year-old Caucasian female with severe pain and poorly-controlled pain (Visual Analogic Scale-VAS- of 8-9) due to three lower leg long-standing VUs is reported and discussed herein. The patient was treated with topical instillations of undiluted sevoflurane as per institutional off-label protocol (starting doses of 1mL/cm2 twice a day, and up-titrated according to response to a maximum of 7 mL twice daily). The VAS score dropped to 0-1 shortly after initiation of therapy and remained stable throughout treatment up until the closure of the observations. Subsequently, opioid therapy was gradually tapered down and ultimately abandoned.Sevoflurane application resulted on adequate and sustained pain management of refractory VU, with no significant side effects. On account of its beneficial effectivity and safety profiles, topical sevoflurane emerges as an add-on alternative for the long-term management of VU, and potentially other painful conditions.

Dimensioning of painful procedures and interventions for acute pain relief in premature infants / Dimensionamento dos procedimentos dolorosos e intervenções para alívio da dor aguda em prematuros / Dimensionamiento de los procedimientos dolorosos e intervenciones para alivio del dolor agudo en prematuros

ABSTRACT Objective: to dimension the exposure of premature infants to painful procedures, relating the distribution of the exposure to contextual factors, as well as to describe the pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions health professionals use during the first two weeks of the infant's hospitalization at two neonatal services. Method: descriptive-exploratory study in which the professionals registered the painful procedures and pain relief interventions on a specific form in the patient file. Results: the daily average of the 89 premature infants was 5.37 painful procedures, corresponding to 6.56 during the first week of hospitalization and 4.18 during the second week (p<0.0001). The most frequent procedures were nasal/oral (35.85%) and tracheal aspirations (17.17%). The children under invasive ventilation were the most exposed to painful procedures (71.2%). Only 44.9% of the painful procedures received some intervention for the purpose of pain relief, the most frequent being sucrose (78.21%) and continuing sedation (19.82%). Conclusion: acute pain was undertreated at these neonatal services, recommending greater sensitization of the team for the effective use of the existing protocol and implementation of other knowledge transfer strategies to improve neonatal pain management.

RESUMO Objetivo: dimensionar a exposição de prematuros a procedimentos dolorosos, relacionando a distribuição da exposição aos fatores contextuais, bem como descrever as intervenções, farmacológicas e não farmacológicas, utilizadas pelos profissionais de saúde durante as primeiras duas semanas de internação do prematuro, em duas unidades neonatais. Método: estudo descritivo-exploratório, no qual foram registrados os procedimentos dolorosos e intervenções para alívio da dor em formulário específico no prontuário, pelos profissionais. Resultados: os 89 prematuros tiveram média diária de 5,37 procedimentos dolorosos, sendo essa média de 6,56 na primeira semana de internação e 4,18 na segunda (p<0,0001). Os procedimentos mais frequentes foram as aspirações nasal/oral (35,85%) e traqueal (17,17%). Aqueles em ventilação invasiva foram os mais expostos a procedimentos dolorosos (71,2%). Apenas 44,9% dos procedimentos dolorosos receberam alguma intervenção para o alívio da dor, sendo as mais utilizadas a sacarose (78,21%) e a analgesia contínua (19,82%). Conclusão: constata-se o subtratamento da dor aguda nessas unidades neonatais, recomendando-se maior sensibilização da equipe para o uso efetivo do protocolo existente e a implantação de outras estratégias de transferências de conhecimento, para aprimorar o manejo da dor neonatal.

RESUMEN Objetivo: dimensionar la exposición de prematuros a procedimientos dolorosos, relacionando la distribución de la exposición de los factores contextuales, y así como describir las intervenciones, farmacológicas y no farmacológicas, utilizadas por los profesionales de salud durante las primeras dos semanas de hospitalización del prematuro en dos unidades neonatales. Método: estudio descriptivo-exploratorio, en el cual los profesionales registraron los procedimientos dolorosos e intervenciones para alivio del dolor en formulario específico en la historia clinica. Resultados: los 89 prematuros recibieron en promedio 5,37 procedimientos dolorosos por día, siendo ese promedio de 6,56 en la primera semana de internación y 4,18 en la segunda (p<0,0001). Los procedimientos más frecuentes fueron las aspiraciones nasal/oral (35,85%) y traqueal (17,17%). Aquellos en ventilación invasiva fueron los más expuestos a procedimientos dolorosos (71,2%). Solamente el 44,9% de los procedimientos dolorosos recibieron alguna intervención para aliviar el dolor, siendolas más utilizadas la sacarosa (78,21%) y la analgesia continua (19,82%). Conclusión: se constata el subtratamiento del dolor agudo en esas unidades neonatales, recomendándose mayor sensibilización del equipo para el uso efectivo del protocolo existente y la implantación de otras estrategias de trasferencia de conocimiento, para perfeccionar el manoseo del dolor neonatal.