Publications by authors named "P J Tarkkila"

Background: We compared analgesia with an ultrasound (US)-guided serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) to thoracic epidural analgesia (EA) with continuous local anaesthetic infusion in patients with unilateral multiple traumatic rib fractures. EA often carries contraindications in patients with multiple rib fractures (MRFs), whereby having alternative effective methods to treat rib fracture pain remains important to patient care. Thus, we hypothesised that both regional anaesthetic techniques would provide effective pain relief.

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Article Synopsis
  • Spinal fusion surgery results in severe pain, and while strong opioids like oxycodone are commonly used, they can have side effects; this study explored the use of S-ketamine as an adjunct to help reduce opioid consumption.
  • In a randomized, double-blind trial with 107 patients, different doses of S-ketamine were compared to placebo in conjunction with oxycodone patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following major lumbar spinal fusion surgery.
  • Results showed that the highest dose of 0.75 mg/ml S-ketamine led to a 25% reduction in cumulative oxycodone use and improved pain intensity at rest without increasing adverse effects compared to lower doses or oxycodone alone.
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Background: Severe pain often accompanies major spine surgery. Opioids are the cornerstone of postoperative pain management but their use can be limited by numerous side effects. Several studies claim that adjuvant treatment with intravenous (IV) ketamine reduces opioid consumption and pain after back surgery.

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Objectives: Articaine, a popular and rapidly acting local anesthetic in dentistry, has been also found to be beneficial in ambulatory spinal anesthesia. Analgesia in the intraoperative and immediate postoperative period may be further improved by adding fentanyl to the local anesthetic solution for spinal anesthesia. The aim was to evaluate dose-dependency of analgesia and side effects associated with intrathecal fentanyl additive to articaine for spinal anesthesia in knee arthroscopy patients.

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