Rectus sheath catheters reduce opiate use in pancreaticoduodenectomy: a pre- and postintervention cohort study.

Background: Pancreaticoduodenectomy is the only curative option for patients with pancreatic cancer; however, pain remains a considerable problem postoperatively. With many centres moving away from using epidural analgesia, there is the need to evaluate alternative opiate sparing techniques for postoperative analgesia. We sought to determine if rectus sheath catheters (RSCs) had an opiate sparing and analgesic effect compared with standard care alone (opiate analgesia).

Evaluating the Influence of IV Ketamine on Postoperative Opioid Use for Surgical Patients at a Tertiary Care Centre.

Background: Subanesthetic doses of ketamine have been shown to improve the efficacy of opioids, increase pain control, and exemplify opioid-sparing effects when used as postoperative analgesia for adults.

Objectives: To determine, for surgical patients, the impact of IV ketamine infusions on opioid use in hospital, overall and within 24 h before discharge, as well as pain scores.

Methods: A retrospective matched cohort study was conducted, in which surgical patients exposed to ketamine were compared with those not exposed to ketamine, among admissions from January 1, 2018, to February 28, 2020.

Survey of Current Practices: Peripheral Nerve Block Utilization by ED Physicians for Treatment of Pain in the Hip Fracture Patient Population.

Background: In 2010-11 approximately 968 hip fracture patients presented to emergency departments in the Greater Toronto Local Health Integration Network (GTA-LHIN). Optimal pain management is a frequently overlooked aspect of hip fracture patient care, which may contribute to patient outcomes. Although recommendations have been published, there is currently not a standardized approach to the analgesic management of pain in the hip fracture patient.

High quality labour analgesia using small gauge epidural needles and catheters.

Purpose: Inadvertent epidural needle punctures represent the leading cause of severe postdural puncture headache (PDPH) in parturients. Use of small gauge (G) epidural needles for continuous analgesia has received little attention despite possible important reductions in PDPH. We report the first study to examine the feasibility of using small G Tuohy needles and 23 G catheters for labour analgesia.