Prospective randomized trial of continuous femoral nerve block with posterior capsular injection versus periarticular injection for analgesia in primary total knee arthroplasty.

Background: Femoral nerve block (NB) and periarticular injection (PI) are 2 common options for pain control after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We performed a prospective triple-blinded randomized trial comparing continuous femoral NB to PI, with follow-up to 1 year. Methods: Patients younger than 70 years of age who were scheduled to undergo elective primary TKA under spinal anesthesia between 2009 and 2010 were randomly allocated to receive either continuous femoral NB or PI. Patients in the NB group received ropivacaine through an NB catheter and a sham saline PI. The PI group received a PI of ropivacaine, morphine, ketorolac and epinephrine, and a sham saline infusion via an NB catheter. Both groups had standardized oral analgesia preoperatively, spinal anesthesia and sedation, and postoperative analgesia. Surgeons, anesthesiologists, patients and assessors were blinded to group assignment. Pain was measured twice daily on postoperative days 1 and 2, at rest and with motion, with a numeric rating scale. Patient satisfaction, pain (Oxford Knee Score) and range of motion were assessed at 1 year. Results: There were 39 participants in the NB group and 35 participants in the PI group. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups at baseline. Statistically but nonclinically significant reductions in pain scores on postoperative day 2 and in narcotic need on the day of surgery were found in the PI group. Patient-reported satisfaction did not differ at any time point. At 1 year, knee flexion was significantly greater in the NB group than in the PI group (mean range of motion 120° v. 110°, p = 0.03). Conclusion: There was no demonstrated improvement in pain control with the use of an NB versus PI when used with multimodal analgesia. Clinicians should opt for the modality that has the best efficiency for their surgical environment. ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT00869037

Contexte: Le bloc nerveux (BN) fémoral et l'infiltration périarticulaire (IP) sont 2 options d'usage courant pour maîtriser la douleur après l'arthroplastie totale du genou (ATG). Nous avons procédé à un essai prospectif randomisé à triple insu afin de comparer le BN fémoral et l'IP, avec un suivi allant jusqu'à 1 an. Méthodes: Les patients de moins de 70 ans qui devaient subir une ATG élective sous épidurale entre 2009 et 2010 ont été assignés aléatoirement à un BN fémoral continu ou à une IP. Les patients du groupe soumis au BN recevaient de la ropivacaïne par un cathéter de BN et une IF simulée (solution saline). Le groupe soumis à l'IP recevait de la ropivacaïne, de la morphine, du kétorolac et de l'épinéphrine et une perfusion simulée (solution saline) par un cathéter de BN. Les 2 groupes avaient reçu une analgésie orale standard avant l'intervention, une anesthésie rachidienne avec sédatifs et une analgésie postopératoire. Les chirurgiens, les anesthésiologistes, les patients et les évaluateurs ne connaissaient pas l'assignation des agents aux différents groupes. La douleur a été mesurée 2 fois par jour aux jours 1 et 2 postopératoires, au repos et à la mobilisation, au moyen d'une échelle numérique. La satisfaction des patients, la douleur (questionnaire d'Oxford pour le genou) et l'amplitude de mouvement ont toutes été évaluées après 1 an. Résultats: Le groupe soumis au BN comptait 39 participants et le groupe soumis à l'IP en comptait 35. Il n'y avait aucune différence statistiquement significative entre les groupes au départ. Des réductions statistiquement (et non cliniquement) significatives des scores de douleur au deuxième jour postopératoire et du recours aux narcotiques le jour de la chirurgie ont été notées dans le groupe soumis à l'IP. La satisfaction autodéclarée des patients n'a différé à aucun moment. Au bout de 1 an, la flexion du genou était significativement plus marquée dans le groupe soumis au BN que dans le groupe soumis à l'IP (amplitude de mouvement moyenne 120° c. 110°, p = 0,03) Conclusion: On n'a démontré aucune amélioration de la maîtrise de la douleur avec l'utilisation du BN c. IP avec analgésie multimodale. Les médecins devraient opter pour la modalité qui offre le meilleur degré d'efficience en fonction de leur environnement chirurgical. ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT00869037

Effect of intensive care unit environment on in-hospital delirium after cardiac surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The etiology of postcardiac surgery delirium is complex. Our primary objective was to determine the effect of the postoperative environment on the prevalence of delirium by examining the in-hospital delirium rates in 2 postoperative intensive care units with differing physical infrastructure. We further sought to identify other risk factors associated with in-hospital delirium. METHODS: The rates of postoperative delirium were retrospectively examined in consecutive cardiac surgery patients during 2 separate 6-month periods. Environment 1 was characterized by a lack of physical barriers between bed spaces and was windowless, and environment 2 consisted of private rooms with physical barriers for each patient and with wall-to-wall exterior windows. Univariate and multivariate analyses to determine the risk factors associated with in-hospital delirium, including the effect of environment, were undertaken. RESULTS: Of the 1010 patients studied, 148 (14.7%) experienced in-hospital delirium after cardiac surgery. The prevalence of delirium was not significantly different between environments 1 and 2 (16.1% vs 13.5%; P = .25). However, in patients younger than 65 years, the proportion of intensive care unit days on which delirium occurred was greater in environment 1 than in environment 2 (5.4% vs 1.7%; P = .006). Postoperative stroke or transient ischemic attack, mechanical ventilation longer than 24 hours, age 65 years or older, concomitant coronary artery bypass grafting and valve surgery, prehospital admission benzodiazepine use, a requirement for any postoperative blood product transfusion, and postoperative renal insufficiency were identified as risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The intensive care unit environment did not have a significant effect on the overall prevalence of delirium. However, that does not preclude the possibility that the intensive care unit environment might interact with other factors, such as age, in a complex manner. Attempts to reduce delirium by adjusting the intensive care unit environment alone will likely not be sufficient, and instead will require a more comprehensive multimodal approach.

Case report: Volitional delay of self-reported outcomes: insights from a case of intraoperative awareness with explicit recall.

Intraoperative awareness with explicit recall (AWR) is a self-reported outcome of interest in clinical practice, quality assurance initiatives, and clinical trials. Combining structured postoperative interviews with a preoperative description of AWR is assumed to ensure prompt patient disclosure. We describe a volitionally delayed reporting of AWR because of the perceived unimportance of nondistressing awareness experiences, despite preoperative education and 2 postoperative interviews. This delay had implications for a major randomized controlled trial on AWR. Volitionally delayed self-reported outcomes may affect statistical comparisons in clinical trials and quality assurance initiatives, and delay the treatment of subsequent sequelae in clinical practice. This limitation should be considered, even when using structured outcome assessment and preoperative education.