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Comparison of the Analgesic Effects of Intravenous Nalbuphine and Pentazocine in Patients with Postoperative Pain
Author(s) -
Tammisto T.,
Tigerstedt I.
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1977.tb01237.x
Subject(s) - nalbuphine , medicine , pentazocine , anesthesia , analgesic , opioid , receptor
One hundred patients, who were in pain during the immediate postoperative period after upper abdominal operations, were included in this double‐blind, between‐patient, two‐dose study. During N 2 O‐O 2 ‐halothane‐relaxant anaesthesia no analgesics were given. The patients received 0.07 mg/kg or 0.14 mg/kg of nalbuphine or 0.3 mg/kg or 0.6 mg/kg of pentazocine by intravenous injection. Pain and side effects were assessed for 4 h after administration of the test drug, or until the pain returned to the pre‐injection level, when a conventional analgesic was given. The onset of pain relief was similar and the peak effect occurred about half an hour after the injection after both drugs. On a milligram basis, nalbuphine seemed to be about three times as potent as pentazocine. The duration of action seemed to be slightly longer after nalbuphine, but 2 1/2 h after the injection the pain had returned to preinjection level in 2/3 of the patients, even after the higher doses of both drugs. Except for sleepiness, there were few side effects and they were similar after both drugs. No psychotomimetic effects were observed.