title: Relative analgesic potencies of morphine and hydromorphone in postoperative pain.
abstract: Because of discrepancies in the estimates of the relative analgesic potencies of hydromorphone and morphine, the drugs were compared in two four-point, double-blind bioassays. In the first study, hydromorphone, 1 and 2 mg, was compared with morphine, 5 and 10 mg, in 31 postoperative patients; in the second, hydromorphone, 0.5 and 1 mg, was compared with morphine, 5 and 10 mg, in 112 postoperative patients. Subjective responses to nurse-observer questions were used to quantitate analgesia for postoperative pain. Hydromorphone is more potent than commonly believed: approximately 0.9 to 1.2 mg is equianalgesic with 10 mg of morphine, with a similar incidence of side effects.
mesh_terms: D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D004091:Hydromorphone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009325:Nausea / Q000139:chemically induced; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D013997:Time Factors; D014717:Vertigo / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D009020:Morphine; D004091:Hydromorphone