title: Enhancing the Enhanced Recovery Program in Colorectal Surgery - Use of Extended-Release Epidural Morphine (DepoDur®).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  DepoDur® is a single-dose extended-release morphine injection into the epidural space. It is not commonly used, but has many advantages over traditional analgesic regimens. We analyzed a number of these advantages in our case series in the context of the colorectal enhanced recovery program (ERP) and aimed to show that the ERP could be further enhanced by using DepoDur®.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective audit of all patients undergoing open and laparoscopic colorectal procedures where DepoDur® was used between July 2010 and April 2012. Validated pain scores were used, and primary outcome measures were resting and dynamic pain, mobilization, and need for additional analgesia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred eighty patients were included in the case series. Good pain control was seen at 24 and 48 hours. Eighty-one percent of the patients required simple analgesia alone at 24 hours, and 62% required simple analgesia (paracetamol +/- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) alone at 48 hours. Only a minority required additional oramorph and patient-controlled analgesia at 24 and 48 hours (19% at 24 hours and 38% at 48 hours). Seventy-nine percent of the patients were mobilized at 24 hours, and 88% of the patients were mobilized at 48 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DepoDur® is an effective alternative to conventional pain management techniques and may have a role in further enhancing the ERP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Suffolk, UK.
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Peravali
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Suffolk, UK.
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthetics, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Suffolk, UK.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bright
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthetics, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Suffolk, UK.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: Pain Management Team, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Suffolk, UK.
authors.forename: Dawn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Petty
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal Surgery, West Suffolk Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Suffolk, UK.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alberts
keywords: Analgesia; Colorectal surgery; Pain management; Postoperative period