Postoperative analgesia with controlled-release morphine sulphate: comparison with intramuscular morphine.

Fifty patients undergoing hysterectomy or cholecystectomy took part in a trail of postoperative analgesia provided by either intramuscular morphine or controlled-release morphine sulphate tablets orally. Respiratory function and plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured after operation and pain was assessed by using a linear analogue scoring method. Controlled-release morphine sulphate produced comparable pain relief with that of intramuscular morphine, and depression of respiratory function after operation was similar with the two analgesic regimens. The mean total dose of drug per patient given over 48 h to patients undergoing hysterectomy was 115 mg for morphine sulphate and 53 mg for morphine. Patients undergoing cholecystectomy received 130 mg morphine sulphate or 76 mg morphine. There was more sedation after operation in those patients undergoing hysterectomy who received morphine sulphate tablets. Morphine sulphate tablets produced satisfactory postoperative analgesia compared with intramuscular morphine: both regimens were acceptable to the patients.     

两种椎管内麻醉剖宫产术后PCEA镇痛效果比较

目的比较两种不同麻醉方式剖宫产术后应用PCEA的影响。方法选择拟行剖宫产产妇80例,ASAⅠ～Ⅱ级,随机分为腰麻组40例,硬膜外麻醉组40例,两组均输入羟乙基淀粉130/0.4氯化钠溶液10ml/kg(共同负荷),分别采用腰麻、硬膜外麻醉两种麻醉方式行剖宫产,两组产妇术后均连接相同配方PCEA,并观察术后镇痛效果,恶心呕吐、瘙痒、腰痛等不良反应;观察下肢运动神经阻滞情况、下床时间、肠排气时间、开始泌乳时间等术后恢复情况。观察时间点为术后2、4、8、12、24、48、72h。结果两组术后应用PCEA比较,腰麻组静息VAS疼痛评分T1时点腰麻组高于硬膜外麻醉组(P<0.05),T2、T3时点腰麻组低于硬膜外麻醉组(P<0.05);活动VAS评分T1时点腰麻组高于硬膜外麻醉组,T2、T3、T4时点腰麻组低于硬膜外麻醉组(P<0.05);腰麻组较硬膜外麻醉组产妇的肠排气时间和泌乳时间短(P<0.05),瘙痒发生率高(P<0.05),腰痛发生率低。结论在剖宫产手术中,相对硬膜外麻醉而言,腰麻能使PCEA产生更好的镇痛效果,术后产妇运动功能恢复快,无其它严重不良反应,且利于肠蠕动功能恢复和泌乳。     

Obstetric epidural analgesia and postural hypotension.

Supine and erect arterial pressures were measured daily for six to seven days after delivery in 100 patients, of whom 50 had received epidural analgesia. There was no difference in the magnitude of postural hypotension between the epidural and control groups on any day after delivery, although in both groups the hypotension was greater during the first two days due almost entirely to changes in systolic arterial pressure. The incidence of dizziness on standing was similar in both groups (9%). Thus postural hypotension is no more common in women who have received epidural analgesia than in others. All patients should be helped out of bed after delivery, and any patient who experiences dizziness should have her blood pressure measured until the dizziness disappears.     

Effects of epidural morphine and transdermal fentanyl analgesia on physiology and behaviour after abdominal surgery in pigs

The objective of this work was to evaluate the physiological and behavioural effects of opioid analgesic treatment in pigs subjected to abdominal surgery. Ten Swedish Landrace x Yorkshire pigs (20 +/- 4 kg b.w.) were submitted for intestinal cannulation. The pigs were allocated into two groups during one preoperative, one surgical and two postoperative days. All pigs were anaesthetized with medetomidine, tiletamine and zolazepam. One group was treated with epidural morphine (0.1 mg/kg) preoperatively, and transdermal fentanyl patches (50 microg/kg/h) were applied behind the ear immediately after surgery. The other group received epidural saline (equivalent volume) and placebo patches. All pigs were regularly weighed and clinically examined and repeated blood samples were analysed for serum concentrations of cortisol, beta-endorphin and fentanyl. Pre- and postoperative behaviours were evaluated by a swine specialist blinded to the treatment, three times a day, and were also videotape recorded for a total of 84 h per pig. No differences in behaviour were noted by the observer. During the first postoperative 12 h, treated pigs did not differ in activity compared with preoperative recordings, while untreated pigs were found to be less active. The treated group started to show interest in eating immediately after anaesthesia recovery, whereas the placebo group did not. During the 12-60 h postoperative period, the treated group had lower activity levels compared with the preoperative levels, which were similar to those in the placebo group. Treated pigs gained 0.5 +/- 0.2 kg during the subsequent two postoperative days, whereas the untreated pigs lost weight throughout the experiment. Cortisol concentration differed immediately after the surgery: Group P had 325 +/- 120 nmol/L and Group M 159 +/- 49 nmol/L. beta-endorphin concentration did not differ between groups. The highest serum fentanyl concentration (0.37 +/- 0.3 ng/mL) was measured 24 h postoperatively. Preoperative epidural morphine in combination with postoperative transdermal fentanyl resulted in earlier return to normal activity levels and an immediate weight gain after surgery.     

经腹子宫全切术后舒芬太尼和芬太尼自控静脉镇痛的比较

目的观察舒芬太尼用于经腹子宫全切术后静脉镇痛效果、临床副作用,并与等效价的芬太尼比较有无优越性。方法选择择期硬膜外阻滞麻醉下经腹行子宫全切术患者80例,随机分为A组（芬太尼组）40例,B组（舒芬太尼组）40例。A组给予负荷量芬太尼40μg;B组给予负荷量舒芬太尼4μg。两组均采用珠海福尼亚电子微量泵（CPE-101—200型）行自控静脉镇痛。观察术后4、8、16、24h的疼痛、镇静、恶心呕吐的评分,记录血氧饱和度、镇痛液消耗量。疼痛情况用水平视觉模拟评分法（VAS）评估,镇静程度按Ramsay评分法评估。结果与A组比较,B组各时点VAS评分普遍低于A组,但仅术后24h差异有显著统计学意义（P〈0．05）。两组患者镇静评分均无达到3分者,B组各时点Ramsay评分普遍高于A组,其中术后16、24h差异有显著统计学意义（P〈0．05）。B组患者术后各时点镇痛液消耗量普遍低于A组,其中术后16、24h差异有显著统计学意义（P〈0．05）。两组术后恶心呕吐发生率均低,其中术后4h差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论经腹子宫全切术后舒芬太尼组的静脉镇痛效果略优于芬太尼组,镇静作用亦明显高于芬太尼组,而且减少恶心呕吐等副作用的发生率。     

Fetal circulation during epidural analgesia for caesarean section.

Fetal blood flow was examined during epidural analgesia in six women with uncomplicated pregnancies undergoing elective caesarean section. A non-invasive, ultrasonic technique was used to measure blood flow in the fetal descending aorta and intra-abdominal part of the umbilical vein before induction of analgesia with etidocaine and bupivacaine and 15 and 30 minutes afterwards. No appreciable change in fetal blood flow was observed.     

Lumbar epidural analgesia in labour in twin pregnancy.

Fifty twin pregnancies in which the mother received epidural analgesia in labour were compared with 92 in which the mother received standard parenteral analgesia. The duration of the first and second stages of labour; the incidence of assisted deliveries when the head presented; the proportion of breech extractions when either the first or second twin presented by the breech; the incidence of low Apgar scores; and the perinatal mortality were not significantly different in the two groups. These findings suggest that lumbar epidural analgesia is safe for providing pain relief in labour for patients with a twin pregnancy. Moreover, an epidural block is preferable to conventional analgesia in these cases as it allows prompt intervention to effect delivery of the second twin.     

Peripheral regional analgesia with femoral catheter versus intravenous patient controlled analgesia after total knee arthroplasty: a prospective randomized study

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of femoral analgesia (FA) with 0.25% levobupivacain and intravenous patient controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine on postoperative pain assessed by a visual-analog scale (VAS) score and their complications during the first 24 postoperative hours after the a total knee arthroplasty in a prospective randomized study. Secondary outcomes included: morphine use, patient satisfaction, complication of analgesia and duration of hospital stay. We analyzed 71 patients with an ASA score of II or III. The patients were randomized into two groups: group PCA (n = 36) was given the PCA pump, which contained morphine; and group FA (n = 35) was given first a bolus dose, then a continuous infusion 0.25% levobupivacain via a femoral catheter. The assessment of VAS was performed every 2 hours. There were no differences between the PCA and FA groups regarding demographic characteristics, operation duration, ASA score distribution, duration of hospital stay and satisfaction with analgesia (although there were more satisfied patients in the FA group). Significant differences were noted in the quantity of morphine used (higher values were in the PCA group; p < 0.001). More complications were recorded in PCA group (p < 0.001). The VAS score was lower in the FA group (p < 0.001). The highest difference occurred 4 hours after the operation, with the PCA group having significantly higher VAS score values compared to the FA group. Femoral analgesia leads to a stronger pain relief with less side effects, less morphine use and more patient satisfaction than intravenous PCA with morphine.     

Nonaromatic hydroxylation of bupivacaine during continuous epidural infusion in man

Less than 11% of the dose of bupivacaine could be accounted for in urine from 10 patients receiving continuous epidural infusions. HPLC analysis of metabolites confirmed (S)-bupivacaine was more extensively metabolised than (R)-bupivacaine, and dealkylation was the predominant metabolic pathway although co-elution of metabolites made quantitation difficult. The percentage of (S)-2',6'-pipecoloxylidide and co-eluting metabolites excreted relative to (R)-2',6'-pipecoloxylidide from three patients was 0.32+/-0.05, while for seven patients it was 1.28+/-0.09. Conversely, the percentage of (S)-3'-hydroxy bupivacaine and co-eluants excreted relative to (R)-2',6'-pipecoloxylidide from the three patients (1.76+/-0.48) was greater than the seven patients (0.19+/-0.09). Urinary metabolites were analysed for evidence of aliphatic hydroxylation of bupivacaine. Chiral liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) on an alpha(1)-glycoprotein column at pH 7 used hydroxylamine acetate as the volatile mobile phase. Compounds tentatively identified as hydroxybupivacaines by MRM were verified by their product ion spectra in a subsequent MS-MS run. Eighteen oxygenated metabolites of bupivacaine were detected, half of which were hydroxylated on nonaromatic groups. Equal numbers of mono- and dihydroxybupivacaines were excreted. There was no evidence to suggest the presence of (S)-4'-hydroxybupivacaine, 2'-hydroxymethylbupivacaine, 3'-hydroxy-2',6'-pipecoloxylidide or a piperidone. The metabolite previously identified as (S)-4'-hydroxybupivacaine was not hydroxylated on the xylyl group.     

Investigating factors associated with success of breastfeeding in first-time mothers undergoing epidural analgesia: a prospective cohort study

Background

We investigated the possible risk factors that could influence the likelihood of breastfeeding at 5 to 9 weeks postpartum with our primary aim being to analyse the associations between psychological vulnerabilities, such as peripartum depression and anxiety, and continued breastfeeding. Our secondary aim was to investigate other non-psychological factors’ influence on continued breastfeeding.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Singapore. Healthy nulliparous parturients at ≥36 weeks gestation with a singleton fetus who received epidural analgesia were recruited. Demographic and anaesthetic data were obtained. Self-reported psychological and pain determinants such as anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), depression (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), pain susceptibility (Pain Catastrophizing Scale) and pain perception (McGill Pain Questionnaire) were also recorded at baseline. A phone interview was then performed at 5 to 9 weeks postpartum to obtain information on breastfeeding status.

Results

329 participants were included into this study, of which 263 (79.9%) of them were still breastfeeding at 5 weeks postpartum. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a higher State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 0.97; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.94, 1.00) at baseline, higher intrapartum blood loss (AOR 0.76; 95% CI 0.61, 0.93), and occurrence of fetal anomalies (AOR 0.15; 95% CI 0.03, 0.72) were associated with reduced likelihood of breastfeeding at 5 to 9 weeks postpartum. Indians (AOR 0.56; 95% CI 0.20, 1.53), Malays (AOR 0.30; 95% CI 0.14, 0.62) and other ethnicities (AOR 0.36; 95% CI 0.16, 0.83) were less likely to continue breastfeeding compared to Chinese participants. On the other hand, receiving any support services on breastfeeding during the participants’ hospital stay was 3.3 times more likely (AOR 3.30; 95% CI 1.21, 9.02) to increase the likelihood of breastfeeding at 5 to 9 weeks postpartum.

Conclusion

We identified 5 independent association factors that could have significant influences on breastfeeding at 5 to 9 weeks postpartum. Healthcare providers could utilize this risk stratification to identify parturients likely to have poorer breastfeeding outcomes and undertake interventions that may help safeguard optimization of breastfeeding outcomes and parturient care.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02278601. Registered 26 October 2014.