Adjuvant Drugs for Peripheral Nerve Blocks: The Role of Alpha-2 Agonists, Dexamethasone, Midazolam, and Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Edinoff, Amber N.; Houk, Garrett; Patil, Shilpa; Siddaiah, Harish; Kaye, Aaron J.; Iyengar, Priya Shelvan; Cornett, Elyse M.; Imani, Farnad; Mahmoudi, Kamran; Kaye, Adam M.; Urman, Richard D.; Kaye, Alan D.

doi:10.5812/aapm.117197

Cited by 37 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…There is a greater focus now on anesthesiologists to make the nerve blocks more effective, with a quicker onset and longer duration of action. This has led to much greater use of popular adjuvants include alpha-2 agonists such as dexmedetomidine and clonidine, as well as glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone (14,15). The use of other medications including tramadol, nalbuphine, magnesium, and ketamine has also been described (16)(17)(18)(19)(20).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone as Adjuvants to Ultra-Sound Guided Interscalene Block in Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: A Double-Blinded Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study

et al. 2021

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Background: Interscalene block is one of the popular methods for decreasing pain and analgesic consumption after shoulder arthroscopic surgeries. Objectives: The objective is to compare the analgesic duration of effects of dexmedetomidine and dexamethasone as adjuvants to 0.5% ropivacaine in ultrasound-guided interscalene blocks for arthroscopic shoulder surgery in an ambulatory setting. Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 117 adult patients candidate for ambulatory arthroscopic shoulder surgery under general anesthesia were divided into three groups to perform an ultra-sound guided interscalene block before the surgery. The ropivacaine (control) group received ropivacaine 0.5% 20 mL, group Dexamethasone received ropivacaine 0.5% 20 mL plus 4mg dexamethasone, and group dexmedetomidine received ropivacaine 0.5% 20 mL plus 75 mcg of dexmedetomidine. Time to return of sensory function, of motor function, of first pain sensation, amount of opioid medication consumed at 24 hours and 48 hours post-operatively were measured. Results: The 24-hour median (25th- 75th percentile) opioid consumption in morphine equivalents was similar between groups 22.5 mg (10 - 30), 15 mg (0 - 30), and 15 mg (0 - 20.6) in the ropivacaine, dexmedetomidine, and dexamethasone groups, respectively (P = 0.130). The median (25th- 75th percentile) 48 hours post-operatively, the median opioid consumption in morphine equivalents was 40 mg (25 - 67.5) in the ropivacaine group, 30 mg (22 - 50.6) in the dexamethasone group, and 52.5 mg (30 - 75) in the dexmedetomidine group (P = 0.278). The median 24-hour pain scores were 6 (5 - 8) in the ropivacaine control group, 7 (5.5 - 8) in the dexamethasone group, and 7 (4 - 9) in the dexmedetomidine group (P = 0.573). Conclusions: There was no statistical difference in opioid consumption at 24 and 48 hours post-operatively when comparing dexmedetomidine, dexamethasone, and no adjuvant. However, intraoperative opioid use was significantly lower with dexmedetomidine compared to dexamethasone and plain 0.5% ropivacaine. The safe side effect profile of dexmedetomidine makes it a reasonable alternative as an adjuvant for peripheral nerve blockade when dexamethasone use may be contraindicated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone as Adjuvants to Ultra-Sound Guided Interscalene Block in Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: A Double-Blinded Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study

et al. 2021

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“…To date, several studies have been conducted on the addition of adjuvant drugs to local anesthetics in regional anesthesia in children and adults, which have produced different results in some cases, partly due to the dose of drugs, various concentrations of local anesthetics and adjuvants, and the type of surgery (20)(21)(22)(23)(24). Compared to ketamine, the addition of tramadol or fentanyl to local anesthetics in the axillary plexus block has accelerated the onset of sensory and motor blockade and reduced its duration and pain score, as well (25,26).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postoperative Pain Management: Efficacy of Caudal Tramadol in Pediatric Lower Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Study

et al. 2021

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Background: One of the methods of pain control after pediatric surgical procedures is regional techniques, including caudal block, despite their limitations. Objectives: In this study, the pain score and complications of caudal tramadol were evaluated in pediatrics following lower abdominal surgery. Methods: In this study, 46 children aged 3 to 10 years were allocated into two equal groups (R and TR) for performing caudal analgesia after lower abdominal surgery. The injectate contained 0.2% ropivacaine 1 mL/kg in the R group (control group) and tramadol (2 mg/kg) and ropivacaine in the TR group. The pain score, duration of pain relief, amount of paracetamol consumption, hemodynamic alterations, and possible complications at specific times (1, 2, and 6 hours) were evaluated in both groups. Results: No considerable difference was observed in the pain score between the groups in the first and second hours (P > 0.05). However, in the sixth hour, the TR group had a significantly lower pain score than the R group (P < 0.05). Compared to the R group, the TR group had a longer period of analgesia and lower consumption of analgesic drugs (P < 0.05). Heart rate and blood pressure differences were not significant between the two groups (P > 0.05). Similarly, the duration of operation and recovery time were not remarkably different between the two groups (P > 0.05). Complications had no apparent differences between these two groups, as well (P > 0.05). Conclusions: In this study, the addition of tramadol to caudal ropivacaine in pediatric lower abdominal surgery promoted pain relief without complications.

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“…Although CPNB provides an effective alternative for longterm pain management, disadvantages of cost, difficulty in insertion, and morbidity with catheter-associated infections and incidental dislodgement often outweigh its advantages (8). Due to these concerns, the use of an adjuvant drug that extends the duration of action of the local anesthetic, which can be given in a single injection, is more favorable (9). Dose-dependent adverse effects of peripheral nerve blocks are reduced by adjuvant drugs but not entirely eliminated.…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adjuvant Drugs for Peripheral Nerve Blocks: The Role of NMDA Antagonists, Neostigmine, Epinephrine, and Sodium Bicarbonate

et al. 2021

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: The potential for misuse, overdose, and chronic use has led researchers to look for other methods to decrease opioid consumption in patients with acute and chronic pain states. The use of peripheral nerve blocks for surgery has gained increasing popularity as it minimizes peripheral pain signals from the nociceptors of local tissue sustaining trauma and inflammation from surgery. The individualization of peripheral nerve blocks using adjuvant drugs has the potential to improve patient outcomes and reduce chronic pain. The major limitations of peripheral nerve blocks are their limited duration of action and dose-dependent adverse effects. Adjuvant drugs for peripheral nerve blocks show increasing potential as a solution for postoperative and chronic pain with their synergistic effects to increase the duration of action and decrease the required dosage of local anesthetic. N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists are a viable option for patients with opioid resistance and neuropathic pain due to their affinity to the neurotransmitter glutamate, which is released when patients experience a noxious stimulus. Neostigmine is a cholinesterase inhibitor that exerts its effect by competitively binding at the active site of acetylcholinesterase, which prevents the hydrolysis of acetylcholine and subsequently retaining acetylcholine at the nerve terminal. Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, can potentially be used as an adjuvant to accelerate and prolong analgesic effects in digital nerve blocks. The theorized role of sodium bicarbonate in local anesthetic preparations is to increase the pH of the anesthetic. The resulting alkaline solution enables the anesthetic to more readily exist in its un-ionized form, which more efficiently crosses lipid membranes of peripheral nerves. However, more research is needed to show the efficacy of these adjuvants for nerve block prolongation as studies have been either mixed or have small sample sizes.

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Adjuvant Drugs for Peripheral Nerve Blocks: The Role of Alpha-2 Agonists, Dexamethasone, Midazolam, and Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs

Cited by 37 publications

References 81 publications

Comparison of Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone as Adjuvants to Ultra-Sound Guided Interscalene Block in Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: A Double-Blinded Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study

Comparison of Dexmedetomidine and Dexamethasone as Adjuvants to Ultra-Sound Guided Interscalene Block in Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: A Double-Blinded Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study

Postoperative Pain Management: Efficacy of Caudal Tramadol in Pediatric Lower Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized Clinical Study

Adjuvant Drugs for Peripheral Nerve Blocks: The Role of NMDA Antagonists, Neostigmine, Epinephrine, and Sodium Bicarbonate

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