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Effect of Epidural Magnesium on the Incidence of Chronic Postoperative Pain After Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery
Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 08/10/2012
Clinical Article
Lee JH et al. – The epidural administration of magnesium from before the induction of anesthesia to 48hours postoperatively did not decrease significantly the incidence or severity of chronic postoperative pain (CPOP) in patients undergoing video–assisted thoracic surgery.
Methods- Before the induction of anesthesia, the patients were assigned randomly to receive normal saline, 5mL, (group C, n=72) or magnesium sulfate, 100mg (group M, n=72), epidurally.
- At the end of surgery, group C received a continuous infusion of a mixture of 0.2% ropivacaine, 226mL, and fentanyl, 1,200µg, through a patient–controlled epidural analgesia pump for 48hours.
- In group M, magnesium sulfate, 500mg, was added to the infusion.
- The incidence and severity of CPOP were assessed by a telephone survey 3months after surgery.
- Patients were asked whether they experienced pain and to rank the severity of the pain using a 3–point scale (1, mild; 2, moderate; 3, severe).
- The incidences of CPOP were 42.4% in group C and 49.1% in group M.
- The severities of pain in the patients with CPOP were 1.0 (1–2) in group C and 1.0 (1–2) in group M.
- The incidence and severity of CPOP did not differ between the 2 groups.