Single-shot epidural-spinal anesthesia followed by oral oxycodone/naloxone and ketoprofen combination in patients undergoing total hip replacement: analgesic efficacy and tolerability.

Background: Many patients undergoing hip replacement have inadequate postoperative pain control, leading to suboptimal recovery. Oxycodone is effective in controlling pain, but is associated with adverse events such as postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). In patients with chronic pain, oral oxycodone-naloxone combination (OXN) provides comparable analgesia with fewer side effects. This retrospective, single-centre study evaluated analgesic effectiveness and tolerability of single-shot epidural spinal anaesthesia followed by OXN after total hip replacement.
Methods: Consecutive patients received perioperative spinal-epidural anaesthesia, OXN 10/5 mg and oral ketoprofen 100 mg q 12h for 4 days. Efficacy and tolerability were assessed on the evening post surgery and days 1-3 after. Efficacy endpoints included pain intensity at rest and upon movement (Numerical Rating Scale [NRS] Score), rescue analgesia and patient satisfaction (0-3 point scale).
Results: Two hundred eighty-two patients were included in the observation (57.2% women, mean age 62.9±12 years). After surgery, pain intensity remained well controlled, both at rest (mean NRS: 1.1, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.2 on days 0-3 respectively; P=ns) and upon movement (2.1, 2.4, 2.1 and 2.0; P=ns). No patient reported severe pain throughout the observation. Rescue paracetamol was required on days 0-3 in 17.0%, 18.4%, 12.4% and 12.1% of patients, respectively (P<0.009); no patient required additional intravenous rescue morphine. Seventy-two percent of patients were 'very satisfied' with postoperative pain therapy.
Conclusion: Single-shot epidural spinal anaesthesia followed by OXN-based analgesia after hip replacement provided effective pain management, with high patient satisfaction rates.