Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block for elderly herpetic neuralgia located in anterior abdominal wall:a randomized and controlled trial / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound guided transversus abdominis plane block for elderly herpetic neuralgia located in anterior abdominal wall.Methods A total of 112 elderly patients aged 65-75 years with less than 30 days of herpes zoster neuralgia located in anterior abdominal wall were enrolled for receiving a treatment of transversus abdominis plane block.Patients were randomly allocated into two groupsthe control group (n =56) taking gabapentin and celebrex,and the observation group (n =56)receiving transversus abdominis plane block (three times per week for two weeks) as add on therapy to gabapentin and celebrex.Morphine 10 mg was ready for oral application in breakthrough pain.Pain was evaluated by McGill scores assessed by short-form of Mcgill pain questionnaire(SF-M PQ)and visual analogue scale(VAS)before(T0)and after 1 (T1)and 2 weeks(T2)of transversus abdominis plane block,and 1 (T3)and 8(T4)weeks after end of the treatment.Pain relief(PAR)was calculated by the formulaPAR=(VAS score before block-VAS score after block)/ VAS score before block × 100％.The morphine consumption and sleep quality were observed during the treatment and 1 week after treatment.Analgesic efficacy was graded 8 weeks after end of treatment.The effective rate and good response rate were calculated.Incidences of complications were recorded.Results There was no significant difference in the VAS score between the two groups before treatment(t =0.419,P ＞0.05),while VAS scores after treatment were lower in the observation group than in the control group(t =17.925,19.662,12.580 and 13.987,respectively,P＜0.05).Before treatment,there was no significant difference in the total score of McGill between the two groups(t =0.544,P＞0.05).After treatment,the total scores of McGill were lower in the observation group than in the control group(t =18.612,20.135,13.213 and 12.356,respectively,P ＜0.05).The pre-therapy scores of sleep quality after treatment were decreased in the observation group as compared with the control group(t =7.798,9.545,10.335 and 16.318,respectively,P ＜0.05).Before treatment and at different time points of T1,T2,T3,T4,the morphine consumptions were not significant different between two groups(t =1.939,P＞0.05).While after treatment,the morphine consumptions were decreased in the observation group versus in the control group(t =22.341,16.758,17.827,15.541 respectively,P ＜0.05).No punctures of abdominal cavity,chest cavity,internal organs or blood vessels by mistake occurred.Conclusions Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block is effective and has less adverse reactions in treating herpetic neuralgia located in anterior abdominal wall.