title: [Continuous epidural buprenorphine for postoperative pain relief after thoracotomy].
abstract: To evaluate postoperative analgesia and side effects of epidural buprenorphine, 60 patients after thoracotomy were divided into 6 groups. All patients received a bolus epidural administration of buprenorphine 0.1 mg in 8 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine. Following this epidural bolus, 10 patients in each group were given 0.25% bupivacaine alone (group A), buprenorphine 5 micrograms in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group B), buprenorphine 8 micrograms in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group C), buprenorphine 12 micrograms in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group D), buprenorphine 15 micrograms in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group E) or buprenorphine 18 micrograms in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group F) with a portable disposable device at a rate of 1 ml.h-1 for 48 h. The percentages of patients who did not need additional narcotics for the first 24 hours postoperatively in group A, B, C, D, E, and F were 20%, 40%, 30%, 50%, 60%, and 70%, respectively. Those for the second 24 hours postoperatively in each group were 40%, 50%, 70%, 60%, 90%, and 90%, respectively. No significant difference in the incidence of side-effect was found among 6 groups. We concluded that optimal epidural doses of buprenorphine for post-thoracotomy pain relief are 15 and 18 micrograms.h-1 in the first and second 24 hours postoperatively, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirabayashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mitsuhata
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ikeno
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Togashi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saitoh
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007268:Injections, Epidural; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013908:Thoracotomy
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D002047:Buprenorphine; D002045:Bupivacaine