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Effects of different doses of ropivacaine on postoperative analgesia, incidence of complications and stress factors in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty
Abstract
Purpose: To study the influence of various doses of ropivacaine (Ropi) on postoperative analgesia, incidence of complications and stress factors in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
Methods: One hundred and fifty (150) patients who received TKA treatment in Ganzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2017 to January 2019 were randomly assigned to low-dose Ropi (0.15 %, group A), medium-dose Ropi (0.20 %, group B) and high-dose Ropi (0.30 %, group C), with 50 patients in each group. Changes in visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, MMSE scores, cognitive dysfunction, serum cortisol (Cor) and adverse reactions were determined before and after surgery.
Results: Compared with group A, scores on rest visual analogue scale (RVAS) and passive visual analogue scale (PVAS) were significantly higher in low-dose and high-dose Ropi groups 24 and 48 h postoperatively (p < 0.05). Serum Cor levels in low-dose Ropi-treated patients were significantly lower than those in the other groups at 24 and 48 h after surgery (p < 0.05). The MMSE scores at 48 and 72 h after surgery were significantly higher in low-dose Ropi-treated patients than in the other 2 groups. The number of patients with cognitive impairment after surgery (POCD) was significantly higher in groups B and C than in A (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Low-dose Ropi exerts significant analgesic effect on elderly patients undergoing TKA, and improves their cognitive function without increasing stress response. Therefore, it should be further investigated on a larger scale for its potential as a candidate analgesic for patients after TKA.