Postoperative continuous plexular analgesia. A study on the side effects and risk factors of catheter infection.
OBJECTIVE
The importance of postoperative analgesia has increased over the years. Plexular catheters represent a good option for high quality analgesia with reduced systemic repercussions. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the incidence of side effects and complications in postoperative analgesia with plexular catheters and identify risk factors for bacterial colonization of the catheters.


METHODS
Patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries between March of 2005 and January of 2007 received analgesia via plexular catheters. The incidence of side effects and complications of this technique were evaluated. In some of the cases, the catheter tip was cultured.


RESULTS
Four hundred and thirty-three patients were evaluated. Urinary retention and nausea/vomiting had an incidence of 1.3 and 16.6%, respectively. Of 280 catheters examined, 8.6% were colonized. Infections, nerve lesions, or systemic repercussion were not observed.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of antibiotics preoperatively and the type of needle were the risk factors of infection identified.
Gasparini
Juliano Rodrigues
JR
Rede SARAH de Hospitais de Reabilitação, Belo Horizonte, MG. drjuliano@yahoo.com.br
Mello
Sérgio Silva de
SS
Marques
Ronaldo Soares
RS
Saraiva
Renato Angelo
RA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000698:Analgesia / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult