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Implementation of a pediatric enhanced recovery pathway decreases opioid utilization and shortens time to full
Michael R Phillips1, William T Adamson2, Sean E McLean1
1The University of North Carolina.
Insights
Implementing an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) surgery improved feeding times and reduced opioid use without compromising outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Surgery
- Gastroenterology
- Enhanced Recovery Pathways
Background:
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) management in pediatric surgical patients often involves complex care pathways.
- Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols aim to optimize patient recovery and reduce surgical stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a pediatric ERAS pathway for patients undergoing surgery for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
- To compare outcomes between patients treated with an ERAS pathway and a preimplementation cohort.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective comparative study involving pediatric patients with IBD.
- Comparison of patients treated with an ERAS pathway versus a preimplementation cohort (PIC).
- ERAS pathway focused on minimal fasting, multimodal analgesia, and early enteral nutrition.
Main Results:
- ERAS patients showed increased regional anesthesia use and faster time to postoperative oral intake (POI).
- ERAS patients had significantly reduced total and daily opioid utilization.
- Length of stay (LOS) showed a nonsignificant decrease, and complication rates were similar between groups.
Conclusions:
- A pediatric ERAS pathway is effective for IBD patients undergoing both laparoscopic and open surgery.
- ERAS pathways positively impact opioid utilization and time to feeding in pediatric IBD surgery.
- The implemented ERAS pathway improved key recovery metrics without adverse effects on surgical outcomes.
Background:
We hypothesized that an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway for pediatric patients undergoing surgery for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) would be beneficial.
Methods:
This is a single institution retrospective comparative study comparing patients treated with an ERAS pathway to consecutive patients in a Preimplementation Cohort (PIC) with similar open and laparoscopic surgeries for IBD. The pathway emphasized minimal preoperative fasting, multimodal and regional analgesia, and early enteral nutrition after surgery. Primary endpoints were time to 120 mL of PO intake (POI), length of stay (LOS), opioid utilization, and 30-day surgical outcomes. Continuous and categorical variables were compared (p < 0.05).
Results:
There were 23 PIC and 28 ERAS patients with similar demographic data and surgical and anesthetic approaches. ERAS patients experienced a significant increase in the use of regional anesthesia, faster time to POI, and a nonsignificant decrease in mean LOS. ERAS patients had decreased total and daily opioid use with similar complication rates.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a pediatric ERAS pathway for IBD patients requiring laparoscopic and (unique to this study) open surgery. The study demonstrates that opioid utilization and time to feeding can be positively impacted using ERAS pathways without negatively impacting outcomes.
Type Of Study:
Retrospective comparative study.
Level Of Evidence:
Level III.
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