Morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) for postoperative pain relief.
Morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) is morphine's active metabolite acting at the mu-opioid receptor. Recent experimental human studies and 5 of 6 randomized clinical trials indicate that M6G causes adequate and long lasting pain relief comparable to morphine. There are various observations that M6G is associated with a reduction in the severity of side effects normally associated with opioid use, such as reduced postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) and reduced respiratory depression. The present drug profile provides a review of the pharmacological properties of M6G, the clinical evidence relating to its efficacy and safety, and discusses its future role in the treatment of postoperative pain.
Dahan
Albert
A
Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, P5-Q, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. a.dahan@lumc.nl
van Dorp
Eveline
E
Smith
Terry
T
Yassen
Ashraf
A
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009022:Morphine Derivatives; C035349:morphine-6-glucuronide