[Low oxygen saturation during early postoperative period in adult patients receiving opioids by intravenous patient-controlled analgesia].
BACKGROUND
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) provides effective postoperative analgesia. However, there are few reports concerning the adverse outcome of respiratory depression.


METHODS
We measured arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) continuously during early postoperative period in 38 adult patients receiving opioids by intravenous PCA. We assessed the severity and incidence of desaturation, defined as SpO2 below 90% for more than 10 seconds.


RESULTS
Nine patients showed desaturation and were studied after the surgery of the extremities, body surfaces, thorax or abdomen. Two patients showed desaturation with combination of surgery of long duration and obesity. Six patients, all of whom with liver cirrhosis, underwent thoracic and abdominal procedures, and showed desaturation because of respiratory dysfunction and hypoxemia caused by the surgery itself. One patient showed respiratory depression due to the opioids.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that careful monitoring with a pulse oximeter and giving oxygen are essential to prevent desaturation during early postoperative period.
Sato
Chiyo
C
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Hiroshima University School of Medicine, Hiroshima 734-0037.
Tanaka
Hiroyuki
H
Kawamoto
Masashi
M
Yuge
Osafumi
O
Ogawa
Ryo
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D010100:Oxygen