Korean J Anesthesiol.  1996 Feb;30(2):217-223. 10.4097/kjae.1996.30.2.217.

The Quality of Epidural Morphine Analgesia is not Affected by the Volume of the Drug

• Kim DH
• Kim YM
• Lee SC

• KMID: 1860400
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.1996.30.2.217

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Epidural administration of narcotics has become a common method of postoperative analgesia. However, it is not known whether the volume per se of injectant affects the quality of analgesia or not. This study was designed to determine whether the quality of epidural morphine analgesia is affected by change in volume of the injectant.
METHODS
Sixty patients, scheduled for cesarean delivery, received epidural anesthesia with 2% lidocaine, fentanyl 100 ug, and epinephrine 1: 200,000. Each patient received 3 mg of morphine epidurally immediately after surgery. Each twenty patients received the morphine in 4 ml(Group 1), 7 ml(Group 2), and 10 ml(Group 3) volume.
RESULTS
There were no differences among groups in duration, quality of postoperative analgesia and incidence of side effects.
CONCLUSIONS
When morphine was given epidurally, volume of the drug has no effect on duration, quality of analgesia, and incidence of side effects. We concluded that the dosage of morphine, rather than its volume or concentration, determines the extent and quality of analgesia.

Keyword

Analgesia; postoperative; Analgesics; fentanyl; morphine; Anesthetic techniques; epidural

MeSH Terms

Analgesia*
Analgesics
Anesthesia, Epidural
Epinephrine
Fentanyl
Humans
Incidence
Lidocaine
Morphine*
Narcotics
Analgesics
Epinephrine
Fentanyl
Lidocaine
Morphine
Narcotics