title: Age-related postoperative morphine requirements in children following major surgery--an assessment using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).
abstract: To investigate if small children require less morphine for postoperative analgesia than do older children and adolescents we analysed the morphine consumption pattern of 28 consecutive children on intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following major surgery. The median age-specific morphine requirements between 2 comparable groups of children aged 4-8 years and 9-15 years were compared. We used the Pharmacia-Deltec pump in all children and the same settings: a bolus dose of 25 microgram/kg, an 8 minutes lockout interval and no background infusion. In addition, all children received paracetamol as a supplemently to the morphine. In this study children aged 4-8 years had significantly higher total postoperative morphine requirements compared to children aged 9-15 years, i.e. 11.6 microgram/kg/hour and 7.5 microgram/kg/hour respectively (p = 0.037). Hence, we conclude that children of this age group may have a higher total postoperative morphine requirement following major surgery than older children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Henneberg
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hole
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009020:Morphine