Papers of the Week

The intraoperative administration of methadone is effective in reducing postoperative painPreventative analgesic interventions may provide protection against the development of persistent postoperative pain WHAT THIS ARTICLE TELLS US THAT IS NEW: Using data from two previously completed trials, it was observed that a single intraoperative dose of methadone was associated with fewer episodes of pain during the first month after cardiac surgery and the first 3 months after spinal surgeryFewer spine surgery patients who received methadone intraoperatively were receiving opioids 3 months after surgery, suggesting a possible reduction in chronic opioid use BACKGROUND:: Methadone is a long-acting opioid that has been reported to reduce postoperative pain scores and analgesic requirements and may attenuate development of chronic postsurgical pain. The aim of this secondary analysis of two previous trials was to follow up with patients who had received a single intraoperative dose of either methadone or traditional opioids for complex spine or cardiac surgical procedures.