• T Ishiyama, T Iijima, T Sugawara, K Shibuya, H Sato, Y Terada, M Ichikawa, D I Sessler, and T Matsukawa.
• Yamanashi University Hospital, 1110 Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi 409-3898, Japan. ishiyama@yamanashi.ac.jp
• Anaesthesia. 2007 Dec 1;62(12):1246-50.

AbstractWe studied whether delivering postoperative analgesia, using a patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) device was effective and safe in elderly patients. We enrolled 40 patients aged > 65 years (elderly group) and 40 patients aged 20-64 years (young group) scheduled for elective major abdominal surgery. PCEA infusion was started following completion of surgery. Mean (SD) fentanyl consumption (10.7 (3.7) compared with 10.5 (2.7) microg.kg(-1), p = 0.76) and number of times patients pressed the bolus switch (32 (36) compared with 44 (38), p = 0.16) during the first 24 h postoperatively were similar in the two groups. Pain scores, which were similar in both groups at rest, were significantly lower in the elderly on coughing (at 24 h, p < 0.05). In addition, average pain scores were similar at the time of PCEA bolus demands in the two groups. Elderly and young adult patients therefore required similar amounts of patient-controlled epidural fentanyl to produce satisfactory pain relief.

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