This double-blind prospective study was designed to determine the best dose variables for patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA)

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Epidural sufentanil was administered to 57 women after Caesarean section, under epidural anaesthesia, to provide postoperative analgesia. Each patient received a 30 micrograms dose at the first complaint of pain and this dose was repeated when pain recurred. Epinephrine (1:200,000) was added to the local anaesthetic, sufentanil, both, or neither. The time of onset of analgesia, efficacy, duration of analgesia and the incidence of side-effects were recorded. This dose of epidural sufentanil provided satisfactory postoperative analgesia and no serious side-effects were observed. The onset of analgesia was rapid (4-6 min), but the duration of action was brief (4-5 hr). The addition of 1:200,000 epinephrine had no statistically significant influence on any of the measured variables. Pruritus occurred commonly but never required treatment. Drowsiness was experienced frequently and was felt by some patients to inhibit their interaction with their neonates. Respiratory depression, as defined by a respiratory rate less than 10 bpm, was not observed. A number of patients noted a transient period of euphoria 5-8 min after administration of the epidural sufentanil. The authors feel that epidural sufentanil provides satisfactory analgesia after Caesarean section, but the brief duration of action and the high incidence of drowsiness limit its acceptability for routine use in obstetric patients.

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