• Steven M Neustein, Joel M Kreitzer, Daniel Krellenstein, David L Reich, Eugene Rapaport, and Edmond Cohen.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Box 1010, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One East 100th Street, New York, NY 10029, USA.
• Mt. Sinai J. Med. 2002 Jan 1;69(1-2):101-4.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine if preemptive epidural analgesia performed before thoracotomy incision and during the operation reduces postoperative pain. Patients in the treatment group received 8 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine and 2 mL of fentanyl (50 microg/mL) via the epidural route prior to skin incision, followed by an infusion of bupivacaine 0.1% and fentanyl 10 microg/mL at 6 mL/hr. The control group received saline in the epidural. All patients in both groups were dosed with 8 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine and 2 mL of fentanyl 50 microg/mL via the epidural route at the time of the chest closure. The patients in the treatment group required less isoflurane intraoperatively and had lower maximum pain scores in the first 6 hours postoperatively. No significant differences were noted after the first 6 hours.

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