Dexmedetomidine to Treat Bariatric Surgery-associated Pain

Summary

Obesity represents one of the most important public health issues according to the World Health Organization and it has reached epidemic proportions globally. The prevalence of childhood obesity has rapidly increased over the past decade and is associated with multiple co-morbid disease states . It is estimated that approximately 15.5% of children and adolescents are obese with a body mass index of ≥95th percentile for age . This not only poses health concerns for the patient, but also places increased demands on our healthcare system that is already overwhelmed by burgeoning costs. Moreover, obese children and adolescents who maintain excessive weight as adults are predisposed to cardiovascular disease and premature death. In carefully selected patients who have failed to lose weight by diet and exercise, bariatric surgery provides an option to obtaining a healthy weight. It is increasingly becoming an attractive option, with the number of adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery in the United States tripling between 2000 and 2003. Obese patients are often afflicted with multi-organ dysfunction and obstructive sleep apnea, which presents unique challenges to the anesthesiologist managing their perioperative care . Bariatric surgery in obese adolescents may be associated with significant postoperative pain. Potent intravenous opioids such as fentanyl and morphine are at the mainstay of perioperative pain management. Unfortunately, respiratory depression and airway obstruction can often occur following administration of opioids in obese patients . This makes providing a safe analgesic regimen difficult during the perioperative setting. As opioids can be associated with respiratory depression and upper airway obstruction, surgeons and anesthesiologists alike must reconcile the adequacy of pain control with the risk of respiratory complications after surgery in obese adolescents.

Timeline

Start

2016-03

Primary completion

2018-02

Completion

2018-02

Publications

• Background Freedman DS, Mei Z, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS, Dietz WH. Cardiovascular risk factors and excess adiposity among overweight children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. J Pediatr. 2007 Jan;150(1):12-17.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2006.08.042.
• Background Thompson DR, Obarzanek E, Franko DL, Barton BA, Morrison J, Biro FM, Daniels SR, Striegel-Moore RH. Childhood overweight and cardiovascular disease risk factors: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. J Pediatr. 2007 Jan;150(1):18-25. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2006.09.039.
• Background Finkelstein EA, Fiebelkorn IC, Wang G. National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: how much, and who's paying? Health Aff (Millwood). 2003 Jan-Jun;Suppl Web Exclusives:W3-219-26. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.w3.219.
• Background Ogden CL, Yanovski SZ, Carroll MD, Flegal KM. The epidemiology of obesity. Gastroenterology. 2007 May;132(6):2087-102. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2007.03.052.
• Background Inge TH, Krebs NF, Garcia VF, Skelton JA, Guice KS, Strauss RS, Albanese CT, Brandt ML, Hammer LD, Harmon CM, Kane TD, Klish WJ, Oldham KT, Rudolph CD, Helmrath MA, Donovan E, Daniels SR. Bariatric surgery for severely overweight adolescents: concerns and recommendations. Pediatrics. 2004 Jul;114(1):217-23. doi: 10.1542/peds.114.1.217.
• Background Tsai WS, Inge TH, Burd RS. Bariatric surgery in adolescents: recent national trends in use and in-hospital outcome. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007 Mar;161(3):217-21. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.161.3.217.
• Background Adams JP, Murphy PG. Obesity in anaesthesia and intensive care. Br J Anaesth. 2000 Jul;85(1):91-108. doi: 10.1093/bja/85.1.91. No abstract available.
• Background Benumof JL. Obesity, sleep apnea, the airway and anesthesia. Curr Opin Anaesthesiol. 2004 Feb;17(1):21-30. doi: 10.1097/00001503-200402000-00005.
• Background Ingrande J, Lemmens HJ. Dose adjustment of anaesthetics in the morbidly obese. Br J Anaesth. 2010 Dec;105 Suppl 1:i16-23. doi: 10.1093/bja/aeq312.
• Background Feld JM, Hoffman WE, Stechert MM, Hoffman IW, Ananda RC. Fentanyl or dexmedetomidine combined with desflurane for bariatric surgery. J Clin Anesth. 2006 Feb;18(1):24-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2005.05.009.
• Background Tufanogullari B, White PF, Peixoto MP, Kianpour D, Lacour T, Griffin J, Skrivanek G, Macaluso A, Shah M, Provost DA. Dexmedetomidine infusion during laparoscopic bariatric surgery: the effect on recovery outcome variables. Anesth Analg. 2008 Jun;106(6):1741-8. doi: 10.1213/ane.0b013e318172c47c.
• Background Mason KP, Lerman J. Review article: Dexmedetomidine in children: current knowledge and future applications. Anesth Analg. 2011 Nov;113(5):1129-42. doi: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31822b8629. Epub 2011 Aug 4.

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