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Continuous epidural infusion of fentanyl for postoperative analgesia
Author(s) -
Bailey P.W.,
Smith B.E.
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.tb05002.x
Subject(s) - medicine , fentanyl , anesthesia , nausea , vomiting , continuous infusion , surgery
Summary A continuous epidural infusion of fentanyl was used for control of postoperative pain in a series of 30 patients who had received an epidural anaesthetic for general surgical procedures. Fentanyl was originally administered at a maximal rate of 50 μg/hr but later reduced to 25 μg/hour or less. Satisfactory analgesia was provided in 24 patients, who required no other form of analgesia whatsoever. Three patients derived significant analgesia from the infusion, but did require occasional small supplementary doses of opiates. Three patients derived little or no benefit from the procedure. The only noticeable side effect was nausea and vomiting, which was less of a feature with the weaker solution. The method was used on general surgical wards with no extra demands being made on nursing staff. Many nursing procedures and physiotherapy could be carried out more conveniently than usual in the postoperative period.