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The Endocrine‐Metabolic Response to Postoperative Pain
Author(s) -
Kehlet H.
Publication year - 1982
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.1399-6576.1982.tb01872.x
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrine system , anesthesia , hormone
A short review is given on the role of pain as a release mechanism of the endocrine‐metabolic response to surgery. It is concluded that: (1) the stress‐response is mainly released through afferent neurogenic stimuli from the surgical area; (2) pain may be an additional release mechanism but quantitatively of minor importance compared to other afferent stimuli; (3) neurogenic blockade and analgesia with local anaesthetics prevents a major part of the stress‐response to surgery; (4) systemically administered opiates may lessen the postoperative endocrine‐metabolic response, but further studies are needed before any definite conclusion can be drawn; and (5) epidural administration of opiates has no major influence on the postoperative stress‐responses.