Opioids and nonopioids for postoperative pain control in patients with chronic kidney disease

To evaluate postoperative pain management (POPM) practices by anesthesiologists caring for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Prospective one-time survey endorsed by the French Society of Anesthesia and Intensive Care (SFAR).

A self-administered online questionnaire was distributed to members of SFAR nationally.

Three hundred seven SFAR members participated in the study.

Close-ended questions concerned: standard test used to assess renal function, analgesic agent selection and dose adjustment based on the CKD functional stage, and the availability of standard operating procedures.

The primary end-point was to identify the most frequently prescribed analgesics in case of CKD, variations in practice based on different stages of CKD, and drug dosing adjustments. The secondary end-point was to identify the most commonly used tests to evaluate kidney function.

The most commonly used postoperative analgesics were paracetamol (acetaminophen) and morphine. The most commonly used opioid was morphine, relative to oxycodone and sufentanil. Modification of diet in renal disease (MDRD) and Cockcroft equations were used by 39 and 40 percent of anesthesiologists, respectively, to measure kidney function. Six percent of anesthesiologists declared following standard operating procedures for POPM in patients with CKD.

There is considerable variability in POPM practices for patients with all stages of CKD. Morphine is favored even in end-stage renal disease. Departments of anesthesiology are insufficiently involved in drafting standard operating procedures.