Epidural buprenorphine for postoperative analgesia. A controlled comparison with epidural morphine.

Abstract

Summary In a double‐blind controlled study. epidural buprenorphine 0.3 mg was compared with 4 mg of epidural morphine for postoperative pain relief the first 24 hours after major orthopaedic surgery. The degree of analgesia was equal and sarisfactory in both groups. Duration of action was 620 minutes with buprenorphine and 580 minutes with morphine, which was not significantly deferent. The only serious side effects were recorded in the morphine group, with two patients complaining of pruritus and give of urinary retention. In conclusion, epidural buprenorphine did not offer any advantages in preference to morphine for postoperative pain relief following orthopaedic surgery.

An Update on Drugs Used for Lumbosacral Epidural Anesthesia and Analgesia in Dogs

“…Epidural buprenorphine may be useful for some animals because it does not appear to induce the urinary retention due to detrusor muscle relaxation seen with epidural morphine (84). It is apparent that in dogs and humans (83, 85), epidural buprenorphine may induce long lasting analgesia of similar duration of that provided by epidural morphine, but with fewer side effects. However, additional studies are necessary to confirm if the epidural administration of this opioid can replace epidural morphine in dogs.…”

A comparison of epidural buprenorphine with epidural morphine for postoperative analgesia following stifle surgery in dogs

“…In human studies which compared epidural buprenorphine with morphine, the degree of analgesia attained with both drugs was equivalent, while the incidence of side‐effects (sedation, nausea, dizziness, and delayed respiratory depression) was less with buprenorphine (Bilsback et al. 1985; Wolff et al. 1986).…”

“…The onset of effect of epidural buprenorphine in humans is approximately 20 minutes (Bilsback et al. 1985) with reported durations of 6 (Murphy & MacEvilly 1984), 10 (Wolff et al. 1986) and 12 hours (Wilde et al.…”

Intracisternal Injection of Opioids Induces Itch-Associated Response through .MU.-Opioid Receptors in Mice.

“…Itching is the most common side effect of opioid anal gesics (1-3), but not narcotic agonist-antagonist anal gesics (4,5). The opioid-induced pruritus is inhibited by the opioid antagonist naloxone (3,6).…”