Background: The aim of this study is to compare sublingual
sufentanil and the administration device for its delivery (SSST-Zalviso®) with the traditional strategies used for the control of
postoperative pain to establish if there is an actual benefit for the patient and healthcare personnel. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted to compare the efficacy of SSTS in the management of
postoperative pain after
orthopedic surgery between October 2018 and June 2020. We analyzed 50 patients who underwent a
total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The control group consisted of 21 patients who underwent TKA and during the hospitalized recovery received a continuous femoral nerve block (cFNB). The statistical study was conducted with a level of significance p = 0.05 using “U” test, Mann−Whitney, to verify if patients had a better control of
pain and fewer calls for rescue
analgesia. Results: Patients involved in the study showed a significant reduction in
pain intensity with the use of SSTS in the 24 h following surgery (p = 0.0568), also a drastic drop of the calls for rescue
analgesia (p < 0.0001) reduces the number of calls for its control. Conclusions: This study demonstrates how SSTS might reduce
pain intensity in the first 24 h after surgery and reduce the number of calls for its control, indicating better
analgesic coverage and implying reduced interventions from healthcare personnel. This could allow a redistribution of resources and a reduction in the use of
analgesic drugs in wards where the SSTS is used.