ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives: The study sought to compare the postoperative analgesia after ultrasonography (USG)-guided bilateral transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block versus quadratus lumborum (QL) 1 block with lower concentration of bupivacaine in patients undergoing lower-segment cesarean section (LSCS). Materials and Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a tertiary hospital, Bengaluru, from 2019 to 2021. Fifty-six patients belonging to the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Class I and II aged 20-40 years posted for LSCS under subarachnoid block were divided into two groups. Patients in Group I were given bilateral TAP block and patients in Group II were given bilateral QL1 block under USG guidance at the end of surgery using 0.125% bupivacaine (20 ml) and 4 mg dexamethasone. Patients were monitored for postoperative pain with Numerical Pain Intensity Scale (NPIS) at 0, 1, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h. Rescue analgesic was given if NPIS score was 6 or more. Time to first dose of rescue analgesic was noted. NPIS scores and time to rescue analgesic were compared using independent t test. P < 5% was considered statistically significant. Results: Average NPIS scores were less at 0, 1, and 4 h (<6) and higher at 8, 12, and 24 h in both the groups postoperatively. NPIS scores at 8 h were significantly higher in Group I compared to Group II (P = 0.02). Time to first dose of rescue analgesic was 7.32 h in Group I and 9.07 h in Group II (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Postoperative analgesia was better with USG-guided QL1 block versus USG-guided TAP block with 0.125% bupivacaine and 4 mg dexamethasone in patients undergoing LSCS.
ABSTRACT
Background: In a time of increased concern over the environmental impact of chlorofluorocarbons, there is an impetus to minimize inhalational anesthetic consumption. It is possible with multimodal analgesia (MMA) and the use of end-tidal controlled anesthesia (EtCA) which is a low-flow anesthesia technique with adequacy of anesthesia (AoA) monitoring. In MMA, all four elements of pain processing namely transduction, transmission, modulation, and perception are targeted with drugs having a different mechanism of action. In EtCA, anesthetic gases are automatically adjusted for the set minimal alveolar concentration by newer anesthesia work station (GE Healthcare Aisys CS2). AoA is a derived parameter of entropy and surgical pleth index which measures the depth of anesthesia and analgesia, respectively. Aim: The aim is to assess the difference in isoflurane consumption between MMA and conventional groups for a given period of time with EtCA and AoA monitoring. Setting and Design: This was a prospective randomized controlled trial involving 60 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. They were divided into MMA group and conventional group. Materials and Methods: Both the groups received preemptive intravenous diclofenac sodium 75 g and 2% xyloadrenaline infiltration at entry ports. MMA group in addition received paracetamol 1 g and clonidine 0.75 µg.kg- 1. Intraoperatively, patients were on EtCA with AoA monitoring. Statistical Analysis: Mean differences in isoflurane consumption between the two groups were compared using an independent t-test. Postextubation adverse effects of analgesic drugs and awareness under general anesthesia were compared using the Chi-square test and presented as numbers and percentages. P < 0.05 was considered a statistically significant. Results: Mean isoflurane consumption in the conventional group was 12.7 ± 5.3 mL which was significantly higher than the MMA group which was 8.9 ± 4.1 mL (P = 0.002). The duration of anesthesia between the groups was not significant clinically (P = 0.931). Conclusion: EtCA with MMA significantly reduces isoflurane consumption compared to the conventional group of anesthesia.
