RESUMO
Background Postoperative pain management in pediatric population can be very challenging. How to prolong the duration of single-injection peripheral nerve blocks has been widely discussed. Multiple medications are under investigation to accomplish this, yet data specifically focused on their use in pediatric peripheral nerve blocks are limited. Methods Anesthetic electronic medical records were queried for any instances where adjuvant drug(s) were used in peripheral nerve blocks during a two-year period at a pediatric surgical specialty hospital. These included buprenorphine, clonidine, dexamethasone, and dexmedetomidine. Results Out of 1,845 blocks placed during the study period, 1,148 (62.2%) utilized perineural adjuvants. Buprenorphine as a sole agent was the most common choice (49.5%), followed by buprenorphine and dexmedetomidine combined (39.9%), dexmedetomidine alone (10.1%), and the rare combination of all three drugs, buprenorphine, dexmedetomidine, and dexamethasone (0.5%). The mean dose of buprenorphine given was 3.6 mcg/kg total, 2.8 mcg/kg/block. The mean dose of dexmedetomidine given was 0.9 mcg/kg total, 0.6 mcg/kg/block. The mean dose of dexamethasone utilized was 2 mg total, 1 mg/block. Conclusions This report examined one institution's use of multimodal perineural adjuvants in over 1,000 pediatric peripheral nerve blocks. Buprenorphine was the agent most commonly used to prolong the single-injection peripheral nerve block. This highlights the need for future prospective trials evaluating efficacy and safety.
RESUMO
PURPOSE: The administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to be beneficial in reducing blood loss during surgery for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), but optimal dosing has yet to be defined. This retrospective study compared high- versus low-dose TXA as part of a Patient Blood Management strategy for reducing blood loss in patients undergoing posterior spine fusion surgery. METHODS: Clinical records were reviewed for 223 patients with AIS who underwent posterior spinal fusion of five or more levels during a 6-year time period. We compared normalized blood loss, total estimated blood loss (EBL), and the need for transfusion between patients receiving high-dose TXA (loading dose of ≥ 30 mg/kg) versus low-dose TXA (loading dose < 30 mg/kg). Both groups received maintenance TXA infusions of 10 mg/kg/h until skin closure. RESULTS: Patient demographics, curves, and surgical characteristics were similar in both groups. The high-dose TXA group had a 36% reduction in normalized blood loss (1.8 cc/kg/level fused versus 2.8 cc/kg/level fused, p < 0.001) and a 37.5% reduction in total EBL (1000 cc versus 1600 cc, p < 0.001). Patients in the high-dose group had a 48% reduction in PRBC transfusion, with only 19% receiving a transfusion of PRBC compared to 67% in the low-dose group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: When combined with other proven Patient Blood Management strategies, the use of high-dose TXA compared to low-dose TXA may be beneficial in reducing blood loss for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective cohort.
