Abstract Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, and headache is reported in 6.5% to 34% of all cases. There is little published evidence on the pharmacological treatment of COVID-19 headache. This case series presents six COVID-19 infected patients with refractory headache in which intranasal bedside Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block was performed for analgesia. All patients had a reduction in headache intensity from severe to mild or no pain after the procedure with minor transient side effects. Proposed mechanisms of action include reduction of local autonomic stimuli, intracranial vasoconstriction, and reduction of vasoactive substances release in the pterygopalatine fossa.

Resumo Justificativa e objetivos: A dor pós-operatória ainda é uma queixa importante em vários procedimentos cirúrgicos. A analgesia multimodal é a melhor conduta para a dor pós-operatória, embora a terapia com opioides ainda seja o principal tratamento para a dor após procedimentos cirúrgicos. A buprenorfina transdérmica é um opioide agonista µ amplamente prescrito nas síndromes de dor crônica, mas com limitada evidência do seu uso para dor aguda no pós-operatório. Realizamos revisão sistemática de estudos que examinaram o papel da buprenorfina transdérmica no tratamento da dor aguda pós-operatória. Conteúdo: Revisamos os dados de PubMed, Embase, Registro Central de Ensaios Controlados Cochrane (CENTRAL), CINAHL via EBSCOhost e LILACS, incluindo estudos clínicos randomizados que avaliaram a dor pós-operatória total, consumo de analgésicos pós-operatórios, efeitos colaterais relacionados a medicamentos e satisfação do paciente com esquema de analgesia. Dados de nove estudos (615 pacientes) foram incluídos nesta revisão. A maioria dos estudos iniciou o uso transdérmico de buprenorfina 6 a 48 horas antes da cirurgia, mantendo o uso de 1 a 28 dias após o procedimento. A maioria dos estudos encontrou valores semelhantes ou menores para o escore de dor pós-operatória, consumo pós-operatório de analgésicos e satisfação do paciente quando a buprenorfina foi comparada ao placebo, tramadol, celecoxibe, flurbiprofeno e parecoxibe. A incidência de efeitos colaterais oscilou nos estudos, e a maioria não mostrou aumento de efeito colateral relacionado ao uso de buprenorfina, exceto em dois estudos, um que comparou buprenorfina ao tramadol oral e outro ao fentanil transdérmico. No entanto, a maioria dos resultados foi obtida a partir de evidências com um risco geral alto ou risco de viés impreciso. Conclusões: Embora sejam necessários mais estudos, os resultados iniciais mostram que a buprenorfina transdérmica parece ser uma forma de administração segura e efetiva de opioide no tratamento da dor aguda pós-operatória.

Abstract Background and objectives: Postoperative pain is still a major concern in several surgical procedures. Multimodal analgesia is best for postoperative pain management; however, opioid therapy is still the main treatment for pain after surgical procedures. Transdermal buprenorphine is a partial µ-agonist opioid widely used for chronic pain syndromes, with limited evidence for acute postoperative pain. A systematic review of studies examining transdermal buprenorphine for acute pain management after surgery was conducted. Contents: Data from PubMed, Embase, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), CINAHL via EBSCOhost, and LILACS were reviewed, including randomized clinical trials that evaluated total postoperative pain, postoperative analgesic consumption, drug-related side effects and patient satisfaction with analgesia regimen. Data from nine studies (615 patients) were included in this review. Most studies initiated transdermal buprenorphine use 6 to 48 hours before surgery, maintaining use from 1 to 28 days after the procedure. Most studies showed lower or similar postoperative pain scores, postoperative analgesic consumption and patient satisfaction comparing buprenorphine to placebo, tramadol, celecoxib, flurbiprofen and parecoxib. The incidence of side effects varied between studies, with most showing no increase in drug-related side effects with buprenorphine use, except one study, which compared buprenorphine to oral tramadol, and one to transdermal fentanyl. However, most results were derived from evidence with an overall high or unclear risk of bias. Conclusions: Although more studies are necessary, initial results show that transdermal buprenorphine seems to be an effective and safe opioid choice for management of acute postoperative pain.

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Post-dural puncture headache is a common complication in neuraxial anesthesia and lumbar puncture diagnostic procedures. The pathogenesis of the headache is thought to be due to a leak of cerebrospinal fluid from the puncture site that exceeds the rate of cerebrospinal fluid production, causing a downward traction of the meninges and vasodilation of the meningeal vessels mediated by the autonomous nervous system. Nowadays, the conservative treatment involves hydration, and the use of caffeine, analgesics, hydrocortisone, gabapentin, and theophylline. However, an autologous epidural blood patch is considered the definitive treatment for post-dural puncture headache and has an efficacy of up to 75%. Since this procedure comes with intrinsic risks, an alternative is the sphenopalatine ganglion block. CASE REPORT: We describe a case report using a sphenopalatine ganglion block to treat post-dural puncture headache in a patient submitted to cerebrospinal fluid pressure monitoring with a subarachnoidal catheter inserted with a low-gauge needle. CONCLUSION: This is the first case report of a post-dural puncture headache caused by a subarachnoid monitoring catheter successfully treated with sphenopalatine ganglion block. This technique can be a non-invasive option in the management of post-dural puncture headache, which requires more study to evaluate its efficacy and safety.