Analgesia in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Introduction. To our knowledge, currently no consen sus or guidelines exist regarding perioperative and post operative analgesia management in renal transplant re cipients. Methods. We conducted an observational prospective clinical study to evaluate the analgesia management prac tice in kudney transplant recipients. All consecutive pa tients who underwent kidney transplant surgery were enrolled in this observational clinical study. According to current analgesia management practice in our insti tution, patients were divided in two groups: patients who received general anesthesia and epidural analgesia we re group E, and patients who received general anesthesia and i.v. analgesia were group G. The primary outcome measure in this study was VAS score and 24 h analgesia requirements. The second outcome measures were com plications and/or side effects related to analgesia treatment. Results. Group E had lower VAS pain score both at rest and on movement but only in the first 2 h, (VAS at rest E. 3.1±0.3 vs. G. 4.0±0.3, VAS on movement E. 4.2±0.6 vs. G. 4.5±0.3, p<0.05). The pain score by VAS scale did not differ between the groups at 6 h, 12 h and 24 h postoperatively, p=NS. Additionally, a small differ rence was noticed in side effects. Patients in group E had reported more side effects than patients in group G. Conclusion. The study highlighted the variety in clinical practice regarding anesthesiologist preferences for pain management in kidney transplant recipients. This eva luation did not show any difference between anesthetic techniques and clinical results.