title: A comparison between scalp nerve block and morphine for transitional analgesia after remifentanil-based anesthesia in neurosurgery.
abstract: We compared transitional analgesia provided by scalp nerve block (SNB) or morphine after remifentanil-based anesthesia in neurosurgery. Fifty craniotomy patients were randomly divided into two groups: morphine (morphine 0.1 mg x kg(-1) IV after dural closure and an SNB performed with 20 mL of 0.9% saline at the end of surgery) and block (10 mL of 0.9% saline instead of morphine after dural closure and an SNB performed with a 1:1 mixture of bupivacaine 0.5% and lidocaine 2% at the end of surgery). Postoperative pain was assessed at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 24 h using a 10-point numerical rating scale. Analgesia consisted of subcutaneous codeine. Average numerical rating scale scores were similar between the two groups at each time interval. Total codeine dosage was also similar, except at 4 h postoperatively when it was higher in the block group. The delay before administration of the first dose of codeine was not statistically different between groups: 45 min (20-2880) vs 30 min (10-2880), median and range for the block and morphine group, respectively. Postoperative hemodynamics were similar for both groups. The incidence of nausea and vomiting was slightly more frequent in the morphine group, but the occurrence of confusion did not differ between groups. In conclusion, SNB provides a quality of transitional analgesia that is similar to that of morphine with the same postoperative hemodynamic profile.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, CHUM, Hôpital Notre-Dame, Montréal, Canada.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ayoub
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boudreault
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chouinard
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruel
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moumdjian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000698:Analgesia / Q000379:methods*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects / Q000379:methods; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000077208:Remifentanil; D012535:Scalp / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D010880:Piperidines; D009020:Morphine; D000077208:Remifentanil