Practical strategies for the prevention and management of chronic postsurgical pain

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) is a multifactorial condition that affects a significant proportion of patients undergoing surgery. The prevention and management of CPSP require the identification of preoperative risk factors to screen high-risk patients and establish appropriate perioperative pain management plans to prevent its development. Active postoperative pain management should be provided to prevent CPSP in patients with severe pain following surgery. These tasks have become important for perioperative team members in the management of CPSP. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on the role of perioperative team members in preventing and managing CPSP. Additionally, it highlights practical strategies that can be employed in clinical practice, covering the definition and risk factors for CPSP, including preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative factors, as well as a risk prediction model. The article also explores various treatments for CPSP, as well as preventive measures, including preemptive analgesia, regional anesthesia, pharmacological interventions, psychoeducational support, and surgical technique modification. This article emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive perioperative pain management plan that includes multidisciplinary interventions, using the transitional pain service as an example. By adopting a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, perioperative team members can improve patient outcomes, enhance patient satisfaction, and reduce healthcare costs. However, further research is necessary to establish targeted interventions to effectively prevent and manage CPSP.

Driving pressure guided ventilation / 대한마취과학회지

Protective ventilation is a prevailing ventilatory strategy these days and is comprised of small tidal volume, limited inspiratory pressure, and application of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP). However, several retrospective studies recently suggested that tidal volume, inspiratory pressure, and PEEP are not related to patient outcomes, or only related when they influence the driving pressure. Therefore, this review introduces the concept of driving pressure and looks into the possibility of driving pressure-guided ventilation as a new ventilatory strategy, especially in thoracic surgery where postoperative pulmonary complications are common, and thus, lung protection is of utmost importance.