[Lumbar epidural morphine for postoperative analgesia in children undergoing Nuss procedure].
BACKGROUND
We examined the effects of lumbar epidural morphine for postoperative analgesia in children after the Nuss procedure for funnel chest.


METHODS
An epidural catheter was inserted from the L 3-4 interspace preoperatively (epidural group). Epidural morphine 30 microg x kg(-1) was given at the beginning of the operation. Postoperatively, epidural morphine 3 microg x kg(-1) x hr(-1) was infused. The frequency of demand for postoperative analgesia was retrospectively compared with that of children who had not received epidural morphine (control group).


RESULTS
On the 0th postoperative day, the epidural group required fewer analgesics than the control group (0.50+/-0.30 vs. 2.50+/-1.00 x day(-1)). However, after the 1st postoperative day, the demand for analgesia did not differ between the two groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Epidural morphine 30 microg x kg(-1) given at the beginning of operation provided effective analgesia on the 0th postoperative day after the Nuss procedure. However, epidural infusion of morphine 3 microg x kg(-1) x hr(-1) was not effective after the 1st postoperative day. Further study is needed to determine the lumbar epidural infusion dose of morphine adequate for use after the Nuss procedure.
Kariya
Nobutaka
N
Department of Anesthesia, Ashihara Hospital, Osaka 556-0025.
Inoue
Yuka
Y
Minami
Wakaba
W
Ikeda
Yoshikazu
Y
Nishi
Shinichi
S
Nishikawa
Kiyonobu
K
Asada
Akira
A
D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005660:Funnel Chest / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000628:therapy*
D009020:Morphine