Journal
CURRENT NEUROLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE REPORTS
Volume 16, Issue 10, Pages -Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s11910-016-0693-y
Keywords
Craniotomy; Pain; Post-operative; Analgesia; Neurosurgery
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Craniotomy pain may be severe and is often undertreated. Pain management following craniotomy is a balancing act of achieving adequate analgesia but avoiding sedation, respiratory depression, hypercapnia, nausea and vomiting, and hypertension. Opioids are a first-line analgesic therapy; however, concern that opioid-related adverse effects (sedation, respiratory depression) may interfere with neurologic assessment and increase intracranial pressure has limited use of these drugs for intracranial surgery. Non-opioid analgesics avoid these effects and may be useful as part of a multimodal regimen for post-craniotomy pain. Regional scalp blocks, paracetamol, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are beneficial in the early post-operative period. Recent studies suggest a role for novel analgesics: dexmedetomidine, gabapentinoids, and ketamine, though additional studies are necessary.
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