• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제12권2호
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• pp.205-210
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• 1999

Background: Epidural morphine for postoperative pain control has a serious risk of respiratory depression and other side effects such as pruritus, nausea and urinary retention. In recent years, it is known that epidural administration of ketamine potentiates the effect of epidural morphine, and so decrease the side effects of epidural morphine. This study was performed to evaluate the analgesic efficacy of epidurally administered ketamine and whether this epidural administration can decrease the amount of epidural morphine. Methods: Sixty patients scheduled for the elective cesarean section were randomly selected. All patients were given subarachnoid injection of tetracaine 9 mg. Group I received epidural bolus injection of 0.15% bupivacaine 10 ml with morphine 2 mg followed by a continuous infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine 100 ml containing morphine 4 mg after peritoneum closure, and group II received the same method as group I except for the addition of epidural ketamine 30 mg. Analgesic effects were assessed using Numeric Rating Score (NRS) and Prince Henry Score (PHS). Also, the degree of satisfaction and the incidence of the side effects were observed. Results: Analgesic effects were significant in both groups after drug administration. But NRS and PHS were not significantly different between two groups at all times. The incidence of nausea and vomiting was 11 out of 30 in group I and 9 out of 30 in group II and the incidence of itching was 11 out of 30 in group I and 8 out of 30 in group II. Number of patients using additional analgesics were 2 and 1 in group I and II, respectively. Conclusions: Epidural ketamine did not potentiate the analgesic effect of epidural morphine and could not decrease the side effect of epidural morphine.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제5권2호
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• pp.221-228
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• 1992

The effect of epidural nalbuphine on pruritus, nausea, vomiting, voiding difficulties and/or analgesia induced by epidural morphine was determined in sixty Cesarian delivery patients. They were physical status 1 or 2 by ASA classification and randomly divided into three groups. They were administered morphine 3 mg only(group A), nalbuphine 5 mg with morphine 3 mg(group B), or nalbuphine 10 mg with morphine 3 mg(group C) at the time of peritoneal closure. During postoperative 24 hours their analgesic effects were evaluated by visual analogue scale(0~10). Respiratory rates, Trieger dot test and severity of side effects(0~2) were also evaluated. The results were as follows; 1) Analgesic duration of the first epidural administration was significantly long in group A than other groups, but there was no difference between that of group B and group C. 2) Pruritus was more severe in group A than other groups but the severity was decreased by increasing nalbuphine dosage. 3) Nausea and or vomiting was mild in group C and the incidence of nausea and/or vomiting combined with pruritus was decreased by increasing nalbuphine dosage. 4) Voiding difficulties was more severe in group A than other groups but the severity was not decreased by increasing nalbuphine dosage. 5) None of the patients had objective sedation or low respiration rate(< 10 times/minute). We concluded that epidural administration of nalbuphine 10 mg with morphine 3mg for post-Cesarean section pain management is one of good methods to reduce side effects induced by epidural morphine.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제4권1호
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• pp.20-25
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• 1991

During the past decade the use of epidural opioids for treatment of chronic as well as postoperative pain has increased Epidural droperidol significantly reduced the side effects of epidural morphine without any appreciable toxicity, except possibly sedation. The purpose of this study was to assess the side effects and potentiation of analgesia of epidural morphine by dose-related droperidol. The results were as follows: 1) Duration of analgesia and pain score: There was no significant difference between morphine and dose-related droperidol groups. 2) Pruritus: Droperidol did not affect the incidence of pruritus with epidural morphine (P>0.05). 3) Nausea and vomiting: Significantly fewer patients experienced nausea and vomiting (16.7%) with droperidol 2.5mg(P<0.001). 4) Hypotensive episode Hypotension occurred in the groups with droperidol 1.25 mg (27. 8%) and 2.5mg(33.3%). 5) Sedation: It there was increased severity and incidence of sedation with dose related epidural droperidol. 6) Respiratory depression: There was no patient with respiratory depression in the morphine or droperidol group. 7) Extrapyramidal symptoms and others: There was no extrapyramidal symptom in the group with morphine and 0.25 mg droperidol, but 3 patients in the group with l.25 mg droperidol and 5 patients in the group with 2.5 mg droperidol how extrapyramidal symptoms. One patient in droperidol 2.5 mg developed suspicious NMS. It is suggested that the use of epidural droperidol to reduce the side effects of morphine may not be appropriate.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.48-53
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• 1997

Background : Epidural morphine provides excellent postoperative analgesia but is often associated with side effects such as nausea, vomiting and pruritus. It has been reported that mixed agonist-antagonist, nalbuphine can reverse side effects of epidural morphine without compromising analgesia. This study was designed to compare the efficacy of each intravenous dose of nalbuphine for treatment of side effects following epidural morphine. Methods : All patients received continuous infusion(2 ml/hr) of epidural morphine-local anesthetics mixture(morphine 4 mg, 1% mepivacaine 50 ml and 0.25% bupivacaine 50 ml) following a loading dose (morphine 2 mg with 1% mepivacaine 7 ml). Patients requesting treatment for nausea, vomiting and pruritus randomly received intravenous nalbuphine 0.05 mg/kg(Group 1; n=20), 0.1 mg/kg(Group 2; n=20) or 0.15 mg/kg(Group 3; n=20). The severity of nausea, vomiting, pruritus, degree of pain, sedation and vital sign were assessed prior to and 30 min after each dose. Results : The severity of nausea, vomiting and pruritus decreased significantly in all groups(p<0.01). Pain and sedation scores were unchanged in all groups. One patient received nalbuphine 0.15 mg/kg, complained of dizziness, agitation and palpitation. His blood pressure who had increased to 170/100 after first dose. Conclusions : This study suggests that intravenous nalbuphine is good for treatment of side effects following epidural morphine, and the dose of Group 1, 0.05 mg/kg, may be recommended as an optimal dose.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.265-269
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• 2013

Background: Transforaminal epidural steroid injections are known to reduce inflammation by inhibiting synthesis of various proinflammatory mediators and have been used increasingly. The anti-inflammatory properties of opioids are not as fully understood but apparently involve antagonism sensory neuron excitability and pro-inflammatory neuropeptide release. To date, no studies have addressed the efficacy of transforaminal epidural morphine in patients with radicular pain, and none have directly compared morphine with a tramadol for this indication. The aim of this study was to compare morphine and tramadol analgesia when administered via epidural injection to patients with lumbar radicular pain. Methods: A total of 59 patients were randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatment groups and followed for 3 months after procedure. Each patient was subjected to C-arm guided transforaminal epidural injection (TFEI) of an affected nerve root. As assigned, patients received either morphine sulfate (2.5 mg/2.5 ml) or tramadol (25 mg/0.5 ml) in combination with 0.2% ropivacaine (1 ml). Using numeric rating scale was subsequently rates at 2 weeks and 3 months following injection for comparison with baseline. Results: Both groups had significantly lower mean pain scores at 2 weeks and at 3 months after treatment, but outcomes did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions: TFEI of an opioid plus local anesthetic proved effective in treating radicular pain. Although morphine surpassed tramadol in pain relief scores, the difference was not statistically significant.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제7권2호
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• pp.193-198
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• 1994

The analgesic efficacy and side-effects of combined continuous epidural infusion of bupivacaine and morphine, in comparison with intramuscular (IM) administration of narcotics, for postoperative pain relief after cesarean section and hysterectomy were evaluated. We divided 60 patients into 4 groups randomly. IM (meperidine) group after cesarean section (Group 1, n = 20); Continuous epidural group after cesarean section (Group 2, n=20); IM (meperidine) group after hysterectomy (Group 3, n=10); Continuous epidural group after hysterectomy (Group 4, n=10). Following each operation, the epidural groups had an epidural catheter placed ($L_{2{\sim}3}$ or $L_{3{\sim}4}$), and a bolus of 1.5mg of morphine was injected, and followed by continuous infusion of 0.3% bupivacaine 2ml/hour and morphine 2.5mg/day for 48 hours. The IM groups had received meperidine 50mg IM injection every 4 hours as needed. We evaluated analgesic efficacy with VAS (visual analogue scale) at 1, 2, 24, 48, and 72 hours after operation. The side-effects (nausea &, vomiting, respiratory depression, pruritus and urinary retention) were evaluated with 4 points scale at day 1, 2, and 3 after operation. The results were as follows 1) The continuous epidural (bupivacaine+morphine) groups were superior to the IM (meperidine) groups with respect to postoperative analgesia at 1, 2, and 24 hours after cesarean section, and at 1, 2, 24, and 48 hours after hysterectomy. 2) Vomiting were more frequent in the epidural groups 2 days after cesarean section. 3) Pruritus was more frequent in the epidural groups 1 and 2 days after cesarean section.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제10권2호
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• pp.203-207
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• 1997

Background: To date, there are no controlled studies assessing the effect of metoclopramide administered epidurally to prevent nausea and vomiting associated with epidural morphine for postoperative analgesia. This study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of continuous epidural infusion of metoclopramide, combined with epidural morphine, in reducing nausea or vomiting associated with epidural morphine and minimizing the side effects of metoclopramide. Methods: Sixty patients undergoing elective gynecologic surgery were randomly assigned to one of two study groups. Patients received continuous epidural morphine infusion (6.0 mg/day) following a bolus loading dose of 3.0 mg (Group A), or epidural mixture of morphine (6.0 mg/day) plus metoclopramide (20 mg/day) following a bolus loading dose (morphine 3.0 mg, metoclopramide 10 mg)(Group B). For the first 24 postoperative hours, incidence of nausea or vomiting, need for antiemetic therapy, level of sedation, degree of pain and pruritus, and adverse effects associated with metoclopramide were evaluated. Result: Incidence of nausea or vomiting and number of patients who required antiemetic therapy were significantly less in Group B, than in Group A (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between groups with regard to adverse effects associated with metoclopramide such as sedation, extrapyramidal reaction and other side effects (P=NS). Conclusion: We conclude simultaneous titration of morphine and metoclopramide via epidural continuous infusion following epidural bolus injection of the mixture reduces nausea or vomiting associated with epidural morphine while preventing side effects of metoclopramide.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제6권2호
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• pp.270-274
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• 1993

Massive extradural spread, distinguished from subarachnoid injection that sometimes follows the introduction of small amounts of local anesthetics or narcotics during attempted epidural anesthesia or analgesia, has been attributed to subdural injection. A 64-year-old woman was admitted for partial radical hysterectomy under general anesthesia after insertion of lumbar epidural cathter by loss of resistance technique with 5 ml of air. In this case, we experienced severe respiratory depression and loss of consciousness after administration of 4 mg of morphine for postoperative pain control. We confirmed air shadows at right silvian and suprasella cisterna region by CT scanning. Patients was recovered without sequele after 2 days, As this case resembles a "massive epidural", it is suggested that subdural injection rather than epidural injection may explain the phenomenon.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제6권1호
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• pp.60-66
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• 1993

The clinical effects of epidural nalbuphine were compared to those of epidural morphine in sixty Cesarean delivery. They were physical status 1 or 2 by ASA classification and randomly divided into three groups. They were administered nalbuphine 5 mg(Group N5), nalbuphine 10 mg(Group N10) or morphine 3 mg(Group M3) through an indwelling epidural catheter at the time of peritoneal closure. During the first postoperative 24 hours, their analgesic effects were evaluated by visual analogue scale(0-10), respiration rates and Trieger dot test. The severity of side effects(0-2) was also evaluated. The results were as follows ; 1) The number of patients who needed additional epidural analgesics was least in group M3 (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between group N5 and group N10. 2) The duration between the first and second epidural administration was ; 19.2 hours in group M3, 8.6 hours in group N10 and 5.4 hours in group N5. There was a significant difference each group (p<0.05). 3) From the fourth post operative hour, both groups receiving nalbuphine showed a higher VAS score compared to group M3(p<0.05). 4) The incidence of pruritus, nausea, vomiting and voiding difficulty were more severe in group M3 compared with the other groups. However the severity did not increase with increasing nalbuphine dosage. 5) There were no patients showing objective sedation or low respiration rate(10 times/minute). We concluded that epidural administration of nalbuphine 5 mg or 10 mg is one way of post operative pain control. Its side effects were less than epidural morphine, but it is a less convenient in the method of analgesia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.21-26
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• 1999

Background: Preoperative blocking of surgical nociceptive inputs may prevent sensitization of central nervous system (CNS) and reduce postoperative pain. The stress responses to surgical trauma consist of increase in catabolic hormones and decrease in anabolic hormones. We studied whether preoperative low dose epidural bupivacaine and morphine could affect postoperative pain, changes plasma cortisol, and serum glucose. Methods: Thirty patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy were randomly assigned to one of three groups. General anesthesia was induced in all patients and after that, epidural blocks were done except the control group (n=10) patients. Preoperative block group (n=10) received 0.5% bupivacaine 50 mg and morphine 2 mg epidurally as a bolus before operation and followed by 0.1% bupivacaine $5\;mghr^{-1}$ and morphine $0.2\;mghr^{-1}$ for 10 hours. Postoperative block group (n=10) received the same doses of bupivacaine and morphine under the same method postoperatively. Postoperative pain relief was provided with i.v. fentanyl through Patient-Controlled-Analgesia Pump. Postoperative pain by visual analogue scores (VAS), analgesic requirement (first requirement time, total amounts used), side effects, plasma cortisol level and serum glucose level were compared. Results: Until postoperative 6 hrs, VAS of control group was higher than those of the epidural groups. No difference was observed in VAS between the two epidural groups. First analgesics requirement time and total amounts of used analgesics were not different between the two epidural groups, but first analgesic requirement time of preoperative block group was significantly prolonged compared with control group. Plasma cortisol and serum glucose levels were not different among groups. Conclusions: Low dose preoperative epidural bupivacaine and morphine could not reduce postoperative pain, plasma cortisol level and serum glucose level compared with postoperative block group.