A Comparison of intrathecal diamorphine with systemic analgesia following adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery

Abstract

Scoliosis surgery can result in severe post-operative pain. Currently post-operative pain management strategy consists of systemic opioids. High doses of opioids administered to achieve satisfactorily analgesia result in adverse effects such as nausea and vomiting, constipation, pruritus and respiratory depression.Recently, alternative methods of delivering analgesia have been studied. Intrathecal morphine following spinal surgery is associated with an increased incidence of late respiratory depression. There are currently no studies that compare intrathecal diamorphine with systemic methods of analgesia following scoliosis surgery. The aim of our study is to compare the safety and efficacy of spinal diamorphine with systemic analgesia in patients undergoing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery.