Pain management after lumbar spinal fusion surgery using continuous subcutaneous infusion of buprenorphine.
OBJECTIVE
The continuous subcutaneous infusion (CSI) technique is a simple, inexpensive method for managing postoperative pain. We examined the analgesic effects of CSI of buprenorphine in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion surgery.


METHODS
The patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups for postoperative pain management: control group (n = 17), high-dose buprenorphine group (BH group, n = 17), and low-dose buprenorphine group (BL group, n = 16). Infusion solutions containing buprenorphine at concentrations of 25.0 and 16.7 microg x ml(-1) combined with droperidol at a concentration of 52.0 microg x ml(-1) were used in the BH and BL groups, respectively; and an infusion solution containing droperidol at a concentration 52.0 microg x ml(-1) was used in the control group. CSI of each solution was started at a rate of 1 ml x h(-1) and was continued for 48 h.


RESULTS
The BH and BL groups showed significantly lower scores than the control group on the Visual Analogue Scale. There were significantly fewer administrations of flurbiprofen as a supplemental analgesic in the BL and BH groups than in the control group. The incidences of sedation and nausea were comparable in the three groups. The median number of administrations of flurbiprofen was significantly less in the BH group than in the control group on the day of the operation and on the first postoperative day, whereas the number in the BL group was less than that in the C group only on the day of the operation.


CONCLUSIONS
CSI of buprenorphine effectively reduces pain after lumbar spinal fusion surgery without apparent side effects. This technique is simple and useful for postoperative pain management.
Kawamata
Tomoyuki
T
Department of Anaesthesiology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, S-1, W-16, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-8543, Japan.
Sato
Yasumitsu
Y
Niiyama
Yukitoshi
Y
Omote
Keiichi
K
Namiki
Akiyoshi
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005283:Fentanyl / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005480:Flurbiprofen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; D002047:Buprenorphine; D005480:Flurbiprofen; D005283:Fentanyl