Effectiveness of Post-Operative Dexmedetomidine and OnQ Pump on Pain Score and Opioid Use in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Undergoing Posterior Spinal Fusion

Abstract

Specific Aims: Our main purpose was to compare the relationship between visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, morphine milligram equivalents, and length of stay among patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal fusion surgery (PSF) treated with OnQ pump, OnQ pump+dexmedetomidine, or the control group. Methods: This retrospective chart review extracted patient data from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2020 provided by the primary surgeon’s office representative. Exclusion criteria were patients who: received PSF outside of January 1, 2003 to Dec 31, 2020; did not fall under the diagnosis of AIS; had a history of allergic reactions to dexmedetomidine or bupivacaine; received PSF from a different surgeon besides Dr. Kent Vincent at Tucson Medical Center. Results: The median and interquartile range (IQR) of overall VAS pain score were 2.91 (1.26) for the control group, 3.85 (1.98) for the OnQ pump group, and 3.97 (2.61) for the OnQ+dexmedetomidine group (p = 0.258). The median (IQR) of total morphine milligram equivalents were 408.9 (467.94) for the control group, 327.8 (131.32) for the OnQ pump group, and 300.9 (51.93) for the OnQ+dexmedetomidine group (p = 0.271). The median (IQR) of length of stay in hours were 126.9 (36.49) for the control group, 126.1 (25.62) for the OnQ pump group, and 127.8 (1.78) for the OnQ+dexmedetomidine group (p = 0.327). Conclusions: There were no statistically significant differences among each treatment group in VAS pain score, morphine milligram equivalents, and length of stay.