title: Does the anesthetic technique influence the postoperative analgesic requirement?
abstract: In order to determine the effect of two standard general anesthetic techniques on the postoperative analgesic requirement, 53 adults undergoing elective intra-abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to one of two anesthetic treatment groups according to an open parallel protocol design. One of the groups received an opioid-based anesthetic; the other group was administered an inhaled anesthetic. The postoperative analgesic requirement was quantified using a Baxter PCA device. The group receiving the opioid-based anesthetic required significantly less morphine in the recovery room (5.7 +/- 5.5 mg; mean +/- SD) compared with those receiving the conventional inhaled anesthetic (16.6 +/- 7.1 mg). During the first 8 hours after discharge from the recovery room there was a trend toward higher PCA morphine usage in the inhaled anesthetic group (25.6 +/- 15 mg vs. 18.6 +/- 13 mg); however, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.08). From 8 to 40 hours after surgery, the morphine usage was nonsignificantly higher in the opioid group (64 +/- 30 mg vs. 56 +/- 38 mg, p = 0.43). In conclusion, the general anesthetic technique used during an elective operation appeared to have little if any effect on the postoperative analgesic requirement after discharge from the recovery room.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D006801:Humans; D007530:Isoflurane; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011292:Premedication; D011997:Recovery Room; D017409:Sufentanil
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D009020:Morphine; D017409:Sufentanil; D007530:Isoflurane; D005283:Fentanyl