Korean J Anesthesiol.  1999 Jan;36(1):112-117. 10.4097/kjae.1999.36.1.112.

The Preemptive Analgesic Effect of Ketamine Used with Fentanyl in Epidural Anesthesia

• Yang HJ

• KMID: 1935132
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.1999.36.1.112

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The present study was undertaken to determine whether ketamine, used with fentanyl in epidural anesthesia, can potentiate postoperative analgesia.
METHODS
Fifty patients undergoing Cesarean section were allocated randomly into two groups. Group 1 received epidural injection of 2.0% lidocaine 18-20 ml and 0.5% bupivacaine 2-5 ml with fentanyl 50 ug on 20 minutes before surgical incision, and group 2 added epidural ketamine 30 mg to group 1 at the same time. Postoperative pain relief was provided with epidural morphine 3 mg and 0.25% bupivacaine 8 ml on 40 minutes after surgical incision in both groups. Numeric rating scales for pain and mood, Prince Henry Hospital scores for pain were assessed at 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 hours after anesthesia. We measured the first request time of analgesics for postoperative pain, the dose of analgesics within postoperative 48 hours and the incidence of side effects postoperatively.
RESULTS
There were no significant difference in the first request time of analgesics and use of analgesics for postoperative pain control between two groups. Pain and mood scores, and PHS score for pain in group 2 were better than those of group 1. The incidence of side effects were similar in both groups.
CONCLUSIONS
The combined use of fentanyl and ketamine in epidural anesthesia provided little effect in potentiation of postoperative pain control. Further studies are needed to provide more prominent analgesic effect.

Keyword

Analgesia, Postoperative; Analgesics, fentanyl, ketamine; Anesthetic Technique, epidural; Surgery, Cesarean Section

MeSH Terms

Analgesia
Analgesics
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, Epidural*
Bupivacaine
Cesarean Section
Female
Fentanyl*
Humans
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Incidence
Injections, Epidural
Ketamine*
Lidocaine
Morphine
Pain, Postoperative
Pregnancy
Weights and Measures
Analgesics
Bupivacaine
Fentanyl
Ketamine
Lidocaine
Morphine