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189 active trials for Opioid Use

Can Simplified and More Detailed Instructions Affect Post-Operative Narcotic Consumption

This project intends to investigate whether (1) a patient-maintained opioid diary provides an accurate measure of opioid consumption (morphine equivalents), (2) improved patient educational materials decrease narcotic consumption, and (3) using a pain management counselor provides additional benefits in decreasing narcotic consumption when used in conjunction with improved educational materials. Furthermore, the investigators would like to investigate the effect of the patient-maintained diaries, the improved educational materials, and the pain management counselor on pain levels, nausea, sleep quality, and patient satisfaction. All patients undergoing orthopedic surgery at Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital and choose to participate will be assigned to a treatment group based on which arm of the study is being tested at the time; (the treatment arms are sequential). Members of Group 1 (control group) will receive the current standardized institutional discharge care for orthopedic surgery and an added tracking diary. Members of Group 2 (experimental group 1) will receive more detailed educational materials regarding postoperative pain management - including instructions to how to taper their narcotic usage - as well as a tracking diary. Members of Group 3 (experimental group 2) will receive not only the educational materials of Group 2, but also weekly phone calls from a clinical patient educator to remind them of proper use of the diary and narcotic tapering.

Start: June 2021
Comparison of Postoperative Nociception Between NOL-guided and Standard Intraoperative Analgesia Based on Fentanyl

Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional conscious experience, associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Nociception is the sympathetic response to noxious stimuli during unconsciousness. The appearance of different forms of chronic pain results from sensitization of both peripheral and central neural circuits of pain, which involves inflammatory mechanisms both at a systemic level and specifically in the peripheric and central nervous system, as observed through elevation of specific neuroinflammatory mediators, such as MCP-1, IL-1, IL-1b, and IL-10. Clinically, this sensitization expresses as hyperalgesia and allodynia, which increase postoperative pain and morbidity, but also induce permanent modifications in the nociceptive system. These effects may be ameliorated by adequately adjusting intraoperative analgesia through use of nociception/analgesia balance monitors, of which Nociception Level Index (NOL) shows convenient characteristics and promising results from previous studies. Objectives: The goal of our study is to assess the utility of NOL index monitoring against standard care for Fentanyl-based analgesia by measuring postoperative pain, sensorial thresholds and inflammatory markers related to nociception. Hypothesis: The use of NOL index to guide the intraoperative analgesia will produce less postoperative pain, hyperalgesia, allodynia, and neuroinflammation.

Start: March 2019