Continuous Post-operative Lidocaine Infusion Following Major Reconstructive Spine Surgery in the Elderly to Minimize Delirium and Opiate Use: A Randomized Control Trial
University of California, San Francisco
Summary
Postoperative delirium is one of the most frequent adverse events following elective non-cardiac surgery and is associated with cognitive impairment at discharge, as well as in-hospital and long-term mortality, however, despite being a well-recognized problem there is a dearth of effective interventions for prevention and management. A modifiable risk factor associated with postoperative delirium is poor postoperative pain control, and by improving the pain regimen the investigators may be able to decrease the incidence and/or severity of postoperative delirium. In this study, the investigators seek to study whether a postoperative intravenous infusion of lidocaine, known to improve pain control in other contexts, can decrease the risk of postoperative delirium and other opioid-related side effects, following major reconstructive spinal surgery.
Description
Methods: The investigators will perform a pilot prospective randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trial of 60 patients undergoing major elective reconstructive spinal surgery to investigate the effect of a postoperative lidocaine infusion on the incidence and severity of postoperative delirium. Major spine surgery is defined as posterior spine fusions \>3 levels of instrumentation and fusion, which allows standardization of the level of surgical insult and postoperative analgesic requirements. The intraoperative anesthetic regimen will be standardized to consist of total intravenous an…