A comparison between thoracic epidural analgesia and rectus sheath catheter analgesia after open midline major abdominal surgery: randomized clinical trial.
Krige A, Brearley SG, Mateus C, Carlson GL, Lane S.
BJS Open 2022; 6: zrac055.
Pain scores were improved after epidural analgesia for the first 24h (pain score 33 versus 50.5; P=0.018) in this study that included 131 procedures. After 72h, pain control was better with a rectus sheath catheter (4.5 versus 12.5; P=0.019), which was also more cost effective.
Comment: Perhaps the compromise is opiate analgesia to supplement the rectus sheath catheter.
18 October 2022
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