J Korean Pain Soc.  1988 Jun;1(1):74-79.

Caudal Morphine for Postoperative Pain Control after Abdominal Surgery

• Woo NS
• Yoon DM
• Oh HK

Abstract

Caudal narcotic analgesia was assessed after the injection of 3mg morphine diluted in 80 ml (phyaiologic) saline into the sacral canal in 15 patients after upper abdominal surgery, in 20 patients after lower aMominal surgery under general anesthesia, and in 20 patients after perianal surgery under caudal block. Pain relief was evaluated by the subsequent need for systemic analgesics. All cases had considerable relief from pain and the morphine was effective for 12 or more houra. There were no significant differances between pain relief of the upper abdominal and lower abdominal surgery group, upper abdominal and perianal surgery group, and lower abdominal and perianal surgery group (p > 0.05, p > 0.05, p >0.05). It is euggested that the morphine, which was administered into the sacral, cannal, reached the subarachnoid apace and produced its effect by direct action on the specific opiate receptors in the aubstantia gelatinosa of the posterior horn cell of the spinal cord. Consequently, whether analgeaia from epidural nsrcotics appears to be segmental in distrib ution or not in still in controversy.

MeSH Terms

Analgesia
Analgesics
Anesthesia, General
Humans
Morphine*
Pain, Postoperative*
Posterior Horn Cells
Receptors, Opioid
Spinal Cord
Analgesics
Morphine
Receptors, Opioid