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Intraoperative methadone: Proceed with care
Abdul Kader Tabbara1, Sindhu Krishnan1, Eduard Vaynberg2
1Resident, Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract:
A recent review suggests minimal respiratory depression (RD) after perioperative methadone, while another identified RD in up to 37 percent of patients. A meta-analysis is equivocal. At our institution, five of 75 opioid naive patients (6.6 percent) given perioperative methadone received naloxone. We report three of these cases in detail. Two others were discovered during an electronic medical record search for opioid naïve patients who received methadone plus naloxone during their anesthesia care. Our five patients indicate that RD owing to methadone can occur with excessive perioperative adjuvant medications and/or in patients who are taking home central nervous system depressants. We define perioperative adjuvant medications as medications given by the anesthesiologist prior to induction and intraoperatively. The risks and benefits of perioperative methadone administration, specifically in patients who received post-operative naloxone, deserve further investigation.
Insights
Perioperative methadone may cause respiratory depression (RD), especially with other CNS depressants or adjuvant medications. Further investigation is needed on methadone
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Conflicting evidence exists regarding respiratory depression (RD) risk with perioperative methadone.
- Previous studies report varying incidence rates of RD, from minimal to 37%.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the occurrence of RD in opioid-naive patients receiving perioperative methadone.
- To identify potential contributing factors to methadone-induced RD.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective case review of opioid-naive patients who received perioperative methadone and naloxone.
- Electronic medical record search to identify additional cases.
Main Results:
- Five of 75 (6.6%) opioid-naive patients required naloxone post-operatively.
- RD appeared to be associated with concurrent use of adjuvant medications and/or home CNS depressants.
Conclusions:
- Perioperative methadone can be associated with RD, particularly when combined with other CNS depressants or perioperative adjuvant medications.
- The risks and benefits of perioperative methadone, especially in patients requiring naloxone, warrant further study.
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