title: Spread of analgesia and ventilatory response to carbon dioxide following epidural somatostatin.
abstract: The effects of somatostatin, injected into the epidural space, on analgesia and control of ventilation were studied in 25 patients aged 41 +/- 9 yrs (mean +/- SD). The patients were allocated to three groups to receive: Group I--1 mg of somatostatin in 2 ml saline (n = 13); Group II--1 mg of somatostatin in 10 ml saline (n = 6); and Group III--somatostatin in a loading dose of 250 micrograms followed by an infusion of 125 micrograms h-1 (n = 6). Segmental cutaneous analgesia, assessed by pinprick, without loss of thermal sensibility or motor blockade was found in all patients. Onset times and durations of analgesia were 15 +/- 2 min and 69 +/- 19 min (mean +/- SD) in Group I and 14 +/- 2 min and 68 +/- 11 min in Group II. The extent of dermatome analgesia at 30 min and 60 min after somatostatin injection, respectively, was: T6 +/- 2 to T12 +/- 1, T4 +/- 2 to L1 +/- 2 in Group I, and T7 +/- 3 to L1 +/- 3, T3 +/- 1 to T12 +/- 2 in Group II. Continuous analgesia with onset of 16 +/- 2 min and extending from T7 +/- 1 to T12 +/- 1 was observed in Group III. No side-effects were observed. The control of ventilation studies in eight patients in Group I by the Read's rebreathing method did not show any significant change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Bicêtre Hospital, Université Paris-Sud, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Carli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ecoffey
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chrubasik
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benlabed
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Samii
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D000764:Anesthesia, Closed-Circuit; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007268:Injections, Epidural; D008875:Middle Aged; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D013004:Somatostatin