hand him a set of disposable ear buds, suggests Dr. Bear.
A study Dr. Bear conducted showed that patients had statistically signif-
icant differences in decreased pain scores and PONV and reduced recov-
ery room times when a loop hypnosis recording was played throughout
surgery.
• Powerful non-opioid
medications. Studies are emerging that highlight new uses for older
medications. Ketamine, for example, is a drug worth revisiting. Newer
studies show that smaller doses of ketamine prior to incision can
reduce the overall anesthetic requirements.
"Ketamine also works well with opioid-tolerant patients," says Dr.
Bear. "Dexmedetomi-dine (Precedex), notable for its ability to pro-
vide sedation without risk of respiratory depression, is off patent
and an affordable option. When you combine dexmedetomidine with
lidocaine and propofol, you can reduce or eliminate opioid con-
sumption during surgery."
OSM
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