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Failure of epidural morphine to relieve pain in labour
Author(s) -
HUSEMEYER R.P.,
O'CONNOR M.C.,
DAVENPORT H.T.
Publication year - 1980
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1980.tb03797.x
Subject(s) - medicine , morphine , anesthesia , bupivacaine , lumbar , local anaesthetic , pain relief , surgery
Summary Lumbar epidural injections of 2 mg preservative‐free morphine were given to 10 subjects in established labour. Assessment of pain using a visual analogue scoring system revealed no appreciable relief of pain 30 min after morphine injection. Analgesia was subsequently provided by epidural injection of 8 ml bupivacaine 0·375%. Failure of epidural morphine 2 mg to provide analgesia in labour is in contrast to the reported efficacy of epidural morphine 2 mg in the treatment of severe pain other than labour. Possible explanations for this discrepancy are discussed.