Articles: analgesia.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Pre-emptive lumbar epidural anaesthesia reduces postoperative pain and patient-controlled morphine consumption after lower abdominal surgery.
The present study tested the hypothesis that patients receiving epidural bupivacaine before surgery would require less morphine postoperatively and/or report less intense pain than patients receiving epidural bupivacaine after incision but before the end of surgery. Forty-two patients (ASA class I-III) scheduled for lower abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups of equal size and prospectively studied using a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover design. Epidural catheters were placed in the T12-L1 or L1-L2 interspaces pre-operatively, the position of the catheter was confirmed with 3% chloroprocaine with epinephrine 1:200,000, and sensory testing was carried out until levels had receded to below T12. ⋯ Postoperative analgesia consisted of patient-controlled (PCA) intravenous morphine. Visual analogue pain scores (VAS) (at rest and after standardized mobilization) did not differ significantly between the 2 groups but McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) pain ratings were significantly lower in group 1 at the 24 and 72 h assessments. Group 1 used significantly less morphine than did group 2 between 12 and 24 h after surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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We report a case of severe respiratory depression during postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in a 14-year-old boy. The medication cassette of a Pharmacia CADD-PCA 5200 was not properly connected, which led to a free-flow infusion of about 85 mg piritramide (strong mu-opioid agonist) within 15 min; the patient lost consciousness and developed apnea. He was successfully treated with artificial ventilation via ambu-bag and 0.2 mg naloxone i. v. The incident occurred approx. 2 h after the start of postoperative medication, when other infusions (suspended above the PCA device level) had been stopped, making the free-flow opioid infusion possible. As the PCA device was in a bedside pump enclosure, the disconnection was not immediately apparent. ⋯ Although PCA is considered a safe method, it can have potentially lethal complications: Technical problems or serious handling errors involve the risk of large volumes of analgesics being infused within a very short time. Therefore, we recommend apparative monitoring (e. g., pulse oximetry) as a necessary condition for the safe use of PCA.
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Anesthesia and analgesia · Dec 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialBalanced postoperative analgesia: effect of intravenous clonidine on blood gases and pharmacokinetics of intravenous fentanyl.
Agonist interactions in antinociceptive effects between clonidine and opioids can be used to reduce opioid requirements in surgical patients. However, clonidine can cause marked sedation and associated respiratory dysfunction. Thus, the benefit of using clonidine to reduce opioid use on respiration is questionable. ⋯ Naloxone was required in six patients and oxygen in two patients of the fentanyl group (versus none in the group receiving clonidine). Dopamine, 10 micrograms.kg-1.min-1, was required in one patient of the clonidine-fentanyl group to correct hypotension. Mean arterial blood pressure, plasma clearance, and the elimination rate constant of fentanyl were lower in the clonidine-fentanyl group than in the fentanyl group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Dec 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialComparison of patient-controlled analgesia and nurse-controlled infusion analgesia after cardiac surgery.
A randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted on 72 patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery to compare patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) to nurse-titrated infusion of morphine. Pain and nausea scores were assessed at 5, 20, 32 and 44 hours after cardiopulmonary bypass. Serum cortisol estimations were performed at 24 and 48 hours, and morphine consumption was measured at 0-24 and 24-48 hours. ⋯ There was a significant association between pain and serum cortisol at 48 hours (P = 0.023). This study also found a tenfold difference in the amount of morphine used (range = 11 to 108 mg), with no significant association with patient age or sex. We could find no significant benefit from the routine use of PCA in cardiac surgical patients.
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J Laparoendosc Surg · Dec 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialThe effects of intraperitoneal local anesthetic on analgesic requirements and endocrine response after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized double-blind controlled study.
This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study was designed to evaluate the effects on postoperative pain of the local anesthetic, 0.5% bupivacaine with epinephrine, sprayed hepatodiaphragmatically under the surgeon's direct view during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Metabolic endocrine responses to surgery (glucose and cortisol) and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug requirements were investigated, as well as the presence of nausea, vomiting, and sweating. Local anesthetics or placebo solutions were given as follows. ⋯ The results of this study indicate a significant decrease of postoperative pain in patients treated with local anesthetic. VAS and VRS pain scores, as well as respiratory rate and analgesic requirements, were significantly lower in group C. The postoperative plasma cortisol level in group C was significantly lower than in groups A and B.