No abstract

Male Wistar rats were injected epidurally or intrathecally with increasing doses of sufentanil or morphine in order to determine differences in potency, onset and duration of analgesia and supra-spinal side-effects. For sufentanil, only small differences in the lowest ED50-values for analgesia and supra-spinal side-effects were observed between the two spinal routes. Given intrathecally, sufentanil had a somewhat faster onset but a shorter duration of action than did epidural sufentanil. However, intrathecal morphine when compared to epidural morphine had a faster onset with a greater potency and a longer duration of action. The stronger opioid activity of intrathecal morphine was also reflected in a reduced safety ratio for the blockade of the cornea reflex. These differences between the two opioids, with regard to their optimal route of spinal administration, are discussed in terms of lipophilicity and optimal clinical use.

Male Wistar rats were injected epidurally with various doses of sufentanil, bupivacaine or sufentanil combined with bupivacaine either 40 or 80 micrograms. Addition of 80 micrograms bupivacaine to sufentanil produced a 2.2- to 3-fold decrease of the lowest ED50 for a tail withdrawal reaction latency greater than 6 and greater than or equal to 10 s. The potentiation was already present at low doses. Whereas both 0.16 microgram sufentanil and 80 micrograms bupivacaine were inactive, the combination of the two drugs resulted in a deep analgesia in all animals. Because the addition of low doses of bupivacaine to sufentanil did not increase the ED50's for side-effects, higher specificity ratios were obtained as compared to sufentanil given alone. These results were discussed with regard to the potentiation of the analgesic properties of epidurally administered lipophilic opioids by local anaesthetics.

Since 1982, 229 terminally ill cancer pain patients were treated by the administration of epidural opioids. An adequate level of aid was provided by the coordinated efforts of the patients' general practitioner, the district nurse, and the anesthesiologist. Based on 9 yr of experience with this model, a project on quality improvement and organization of cancer pain control by infusion techniques in the home situation was proposed. The purpose of the study is to create a nationwide organization for cancer pain control for terminal patients on a home-care basis. Specially trained ambulatory field teams will be set up to collect and process the information necessary to make protocols and instructions.