Intraoperative S-ketamine for the reduction of opioid consumption and pain one year after spine surgery: A randomized clinical trial of opioid-dependent patients.

Background: We aimed to explore the effect of intraoperative S-ketamine on analgesic consumption and pain one year after spine surgery in chronic opioid-dependent patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery.

Methods: Single-centre, randomized, blinded trial of 147 patients.

Intervention: Perioperative S-ketamine bolus 0.

Intraoperative ketamine reduces immediate postoperative opioid consumption after spinal fusion surgery in chronic pain patients with opioid dependency: a randomized, blinded trial.

Perioperative handling of surgical patients with opioid dependency represents an important clinical problem. Animal studies suggest that ketamine attenuates central sensitization and hyperalgesia and thereby reduces postoperative opioid tolerance. We hypothesized that intraoperative ketamine would reduce immediate postoperative opioid consumption compared with placebo in chronic pain patients with opioid dependency undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery.

Insufficient pain management after spine surgery.

Introduction: A prospective observational quality assurance study was performed at Glostrup Hospital, Denmark, to describe patients undergoing spine surgery with regard to perioperative analgesic management, post-operative pain, opioid consumption and side effects.

Material And Methods: Patients eligible for the study were identified consecutively from the operation chart. The following data were registered: post-operative visual analogue (VAS) pain score at rest and during mobilisation, opioid consumption for the first 24 h, other analgesics administered and side effects.

Epidural blood patch for refractory low CSF pressure headache: a pilot study.

Once believed an exceedingly rare disorder, recent evidence suggests that low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure headache has to be considered an important cause of new daily persistent headaches, particularly among young and middle-aged individuals. Treatment of low CSF pressure headache consists of non-invasive/conservative measures and invasive measures with epidural blood patch providing the cornerstone of the invasive measures. In the present pilot study we therefore aimed to evaluate the treatment efficacy of epidural blood patch (EBP) in treatment-refractory low-pressure headache.