The latest capsule review from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Global Pain Council (WSAVA-GPC), published in the latest issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP), discusses the use of intraperitoneal (IP) and incisional analgesia in small animal practice.
“Intraperitoneal and incisional analgesia in small animals: simple, cost-effective techniques”, considers the findings and limitations of recent studies and makes recommendations on the use of IP and incisional analgesia in companion animals.
Paulo Steagall, lead author of the paper said “Based on current evidence and a consensus of the WSAVA-GPC members, it is recommended that IP and incisional analgesia should be used for abdominal surgery such as intestinal foreign body removal, splenectomy, etc. These techniques can be particularly useful in high-volume sterilisation programmes due to their safety and cost effectiveness. They should never be administered as stand-alone analgesic techniques, but rather should be used in addition, as part of a multimodal analgesic plan with opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).”
As discussed in the review, the current literature on IP and incisional analgesia has several limitations including the use of different doses, drugs and volumes of local anaesthetic. Furthermore, acute pain assessment was performed using a number of different pain scoring systems with variable validity, by a number of different people which may introduce bias. Further studies are therefore warranted to continue to investigate the use of IP and incisional analgesia in a number of clinical scenarios.
Nicholas Jeffery, editor of JSAP concluded: “Local anaesthetics are inexpensive and not limited by geographic availability; this review supports their use to manage perioperative pain as part of a multimodal management approach.”
The full article can be found in the January issue of the Journal of Small Animal Practice which is free for BSAVA members. It can also be read online.
For further information relating the use of local anaesthesia and the management of perioperative pain, the BSAVA advises vets to consult a text such as the BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice.
For information on how to become a BSAVA member visit BSAVA’s website.
