Intercostal nerve blockade with a mixture of bupivacaine and phenol enhance the efficacy of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia in the control of post-cholecystectomy pain.
Prolonged nerve conduction blockade has been proposed to result from the summed effects of charged and neutral local anaesthetics. Thirty-seven patients were randomly allocated to receive intravenous patient-controlled analgesia alone or combined with intercostal blockade (T7-T11) with a mixture of 0.45% bupivacaine and 0.6% phenol for post-cholecystectomy analgesia. Adequacy of pain relief was measured by patient scores on a 10-cm visual analogue scale and by dose-demand ratio, amounts of loading dose and total consumption of morphine and also the duration of patient-controlled analgesia in each group. No differences were found between groups in post-operative scores, dose-demand ratios and loading doses of morphine. However, in the combined treatment group, a significantly lower total consumption of morphine (P < 0.05), associated with a shorter duration of patient-controlled analgesia (P < 0.02) and a decreased mean number of unsuccessful demands (P < 0.001) were recorded. Intercostal blockade with bupivacaine-phenol supplements intravenous patient-controlled analgesia for post-cholecystectomy pain relief.
Maidatsi
P
P
Department of Anesthesiology, AHEPA General Hospital, School of Medicine, Aristotelian University, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Gorgias
N
N
Zaralidou
A
A
Ourailoglou
V
V
Giala
M
M
D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002045:Bupivacaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007367:Intercostal Nerves / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009407:Nerve Block; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019800:Phenol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013565:Sympatholytics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013997:Time Factors
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D013565:Sympatholytics; D019800:Phenol; D009020:Morphine; D002045:Bupivacaine