title: Extradural infusion analgesia for postoperative pain relief.
abstract: We describe 4-yr experience providing extradural infusion analgesia in a district hospital for treatment of postoperative pain. A total of 770 patients recovering from major surgery were treated on general surgical wards between April 1989 and March 1993. The results of a retrospective audit showed that pain control, assessed with both a visual analogue scale (VAS score (0-10 cm)) and a verbal rating scale (VRS), was good. At rest, more than 80% of patients scored pain as absent or mild (VAS score 0-3) during the first 24 h, with only 4% experiencing severe pain (VAS score 7-10). On movement, 50% of patients had good pain control (VAS score 0-3) while 20% of patients experienced severe pain (VAS score 7-10). Minor complications such as emetic sequelae and pruritus were common; these conditions were mild and rarely required treatment. Hypotension (< 100 mm Hg) occurred in 34% of patients in the first 24 h. Ventilatory frequencies of 8 b.p.m. or less occurred in 2.6% of patients. Four patients (0.52%) developed severe respiratory depression. These patients demonstrated increased sedation but only one had a low ventilatory frequency. Three patients died while receiving extradural infusion analgesia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthetics, York District Hospital.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leith
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Wheatley
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Madej
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hunter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000009:adverse effects; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D003932:Heroin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin; D002045:Bupivacaine