title: Efficacy of thoracic epidural analgesia following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
abstract: This study was undertaken to determine whether epidural analgesia has any benefit for post-operative pain relief in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Patients were randomly assigned to receive post-operative epidural analgesia with a morphine-bupivacaine combination (Group A, n = 22) or placebo (saline) (Group B, n = 22). The same standard general anaesthetic technique, which consists of nitrous oxide and isoflurane in oxygen was used. Analgesia was assessed using visual analogue pain scores (0-10 cm). The evaluation was carried out 24 and 48 h post-operatively. At 24 h after anaesthesia, pain scores in Group A (2.3 +/- 1.2) were lower than those in Group B (4.4 +/- 1.5) (P < 0.05). However, at 48 h post-operatively, no difference in scores was observed between the two groups. In conclusion, epidural analgesia with a morphine-bupivacaine combination improves pain relief during the first 24 h following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Tsukuba Institute of Clinical Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Toyooka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007213:Indomethacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010919:Placebos; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D004338:Drug Combinations; D010919:Placebos; D009020:Morphine; D007530:Isoflurane; D009609:Nitrous Oxide; D010100:Oxygen; D007213:Indomethacin; D002045:Bupivacaine