RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The use of a continuous local anaesthesia infusion after laparotomy may reduce opioid requirements and facilitate earlier return of bowel function, independent mobilization and hospital discharge. METHODS: We performed a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial on 55 patients who underwent laparotomy. Patients were randomly allocated to receive a continuous infusion of either 0.2% ropivacaine or normal saline into their midline abdominal wound at the fascial level. The end points of the study were: total opioid requirements at 24 and 48 h; time to first flatus, bowel movement and independent ambulation; length of hospital stay; complications; and daily mean patient-reported pain scores at rest and movement. RESULTS: The two treatment groups were well controlled for factors that influence analgesia requirements, including age, weight, length of wound incision and type of operation. Patients allocated to ropivacaine infusion used, on average, 32 mg less morphine at 48 h (95% confidence interval 7, 57; P= 0.01). This was highly statistically significant after adjusting for age, gender and type of operation (P= 0.0006). Ropivacaine infusion was associated with a significantly decreased time to independent mobilization (P= 0.02), time to first flatus (P= 0.02) and reduced post-operative ileus (2/28 versus 9/27, χ(2) = 5.89, P= 0.02). There was no significant effect of ropivacaine infusion on time to first bowel movement (P= 0.94) nor length of hospital stay (P= 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: Local anaesthesia infusion at the fascial plane provides effective analgesia. This improves patient recovery through earlier return to bowel function and mobilization.
Asunto(s)
Amidas/administración & dosificación , Analgesia Controlada por el Paciente/métodos , Anestésicos Locales/administración & dosificación , Laparotomía/efectos adversos , Dimensión del Dolor/efectos de los fármacos , Dolor Postoperatorio/tratamiento farmacológico , Anciano , Análisis de Varianza , Anestesia Local/métodos , Distribución de Chi-Cuadrado , Intervalos de Confianza , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Método Doble Ciego , Esquema de Medicación , Femenino , Estudios de Seguimiento , Humanos , Infusiones Intralesiones , Laparotomía/métodos , Modelos Lineales , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Morfina/administración & dosificación , Análisis Multivariante , Dolor Postoperatorio/diagnóstico , Estudios Prospectivos , Valores de Referencia , Ropivacaína , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , Infección de la Herida Quirúrgica/diagnóstico , Infección de la Herida Quirúrgica/tratamiento farmacológico , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Small bowel obstruction is common in clinical practice and is most often due to adhesions. The aim of this study was to determine the significance of colon cancer presenting as a small bowel obstruction at a single institution and to find out whether routine colonoscopy was necessary in patients who had spontaneous resolution of their small bowel obstruction. METHODS: A retrospective review of the medical records of patients presenting with small bowel obstruction from 1995 to 2000 at the Prince of Wales Hospital was performed. The clinical outcomes were obtained from the medical records and the clinical notes of each surgical consultant. RESULTS: Over the study period, 251 patients presented with small bowel obstruction. The mean age at presentation was 63.8 years (range 21-95 years). A total of 149 patients (59.4%) were treated conservatively with an average hospital stay of 4.6 days (range 1-20 days). Another 100 patients (39.8%) were treated operatively with a mean time from presentation to operation of 2.2 days (range <24 h-14 days). The remaining two patients (0.8%) were managed palliatively because of known metastatic disease. At laparotomy, 13 patients (13%) had a colon cancer identified. A further three patients were identified to have a colon cancer on follow up colonoscopy. However, only one of the three patients had had a previous laparotomy, that is, only 0.7% (1/149) of patients with a spontaneously resolved small bowel obstruction (presumably secondary to adhesions) had actually had colon cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of small bowel obstruction secondary to colon cancer is significant at 6.4%. However, as the incidence of colon cancer in patients who had had a previous laparotomy and spontaneous resolution of their obstruction was very low at 0.7%, routine colonoscopy does not seem warranted.