title: Morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) for postoperative pain relief.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, P5-Q, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. a.dahan@lumc.nl
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dahan
authors.forename: Eveline
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Dorp
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yassen
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009022:Morphine Derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D009022:Morphine Derivatives; C035349:morphine-6-glucuronide