Abstract
Background Clefting of the lip, palate, or both is a common congenital abnormality. Inadequate treatment for pain in children may result from concerns over opioid-related adverse effects. Providing adequate pain control with minimal adverse effects remains challenging in children. Objectives To assess opioid-sparing effects of oral or intravenous acetaminophen following primary cleft palate repair in children. Methods Prospective randomized controlled trial in 45 healthy children, ages 5 months to 5 years, using standardized general anesthesia and lidocaine infiltration of the operative field. Patients were allocated to groups: intravenous acetaminophen/oral placebo (intravenous), oral acetaminophen/intravenous placebo (oral), or intravenous/oral placebo (control). Groups were compared for differences in opioid administration during the 24-h study period (morphine equivalents μg·kg-1; 95% confidence interval). Results Intravenous acetaminophen decreased opioid requirement after surgery (P = 0.003). Patients in the intravenous group received less opioid (272.9; 202.9-342.8 μg·kg-1) than control patients (454.2; 384.3-524.2 μg·kg-1; P < 0.002). Opioid requirement in oral patients (376.5; 304.1-448.9 μg·kg-1) was intermediate and not significantly different from either intravenous (P = 0.11) or control (P = 0.27). During the ward phase of care, intravenous had better analgesia than control (P = 0.002), and both intravenous and oral group patients received less opioid than control (P = 0.01). Conclusion Intravenous acetaminophen given to young children undergoing primary cleft palate repair was associated with opioid-sparing effects compared to placebo. The fewer morphine doses during ward stay in both intravenous and oral may be important clinically in some settings.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 574-581 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Paediatric Anaesthesia |
Volume | 24 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2014 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- acetaminophen
- cleft palate
- congenital abnormalities and syndromes
- pain miscellaneous
- pain PACU
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Medicine(all)