Revista española de anestesiología y reanimación
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Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim · Aug 2003
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial[Postoperative patient-controlled analgesia is more effective with epidural methadone than with intravenous methadone in thoracic surgery].
To compare the efficacy and side effects of epidural and intravenous methadone for postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) after thoracic surgery. ⋯ The results suggest that epidural methadone has an intrinsic spinal effect regardless of whether or not there is extra-spinal action arising from syste mic absorption. Epidural methadone provides a more adequate analgesic effect in less time and at a lower dose. Both approaches provide good postoperative analgesia with few side effects.