[Continuous epidural buprenorphine for postoperative pain relief in upper abdominal surgery].
To evaluate postoperative analgesia and side effects of epidural buprenorphine, 100 patients who underwent upper abdominal surgery were divided into 5 groups. All patients were given initially 0.1 mg of buprenorphine in 8 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine in bolus. Following an epidural bolus, 20 patients in each group were given 0.25% bupivacaine alone (group A), 5 micrograms buprenorphine in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group B), 8 micrograms buprenorphine in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group C), 12 micrograms buprenorphine in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group D), or 15 micrograms buprenorphine in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine (group E) with a portable disposable device at a rate of 1 ml.h-1 for 48 h. The analgesic efficacy in group E was superior to that in groups A, B, C and D. No significant difference was found in the incidence of side-effect among 5 groups. Therefore, epidural buprenorphine 15 micrograms in 1 ml of 0.25% bupivacaine given to patients at a rate of 1 ml.h-1 was thought to be optimal for postoperative pain relief in upper abdominal surgery in terms of its efficacy and side effects. However, 35% of these patients required supplementary systemic analgesics in the early postoperative period.
Hirabayashi
Y
Y
Department of Anesthesiology, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi.
Mitsuhata
H
H
Shimizu
R
R
Togashi
H
H
Kawakami
H
H
Inoue
S
S
Saitoh
K
K
Fukuda
H
H
D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007268:Injections, Epidural; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*
D002047:Buprenorphine