Pethidin-Analgesie und Hirnkreislauf bei sehr kleinen Frühgeborenen

Abstract

Aim of the study was the assessment of possible side effects of analgesia with pethidine on the intracerebral circulation of very immature preterm infants. For this purpose the blood flow velocity in the internal carotid artery, basilar cerebral artery and the anterior cerebral artery was measured by pulsed Dopplersonography before and 5-10 min after i.v. injection of 1.0 mg/kg pethioine on 10 preterm infants with a gestational age of 24-30 weeks. Furthermore values for the parameter mean arterial blood pressure, heart frequency and tcpCO2 were obtained. None of the measured parameters showed a significant difference with the i.v. bolus injection of pethidine. As even very immature preterm infants do feel pain and can show potential dangerous physiological pain reactions and as this study proves the tolerance of the drug, analgesia with morphine derivates is recommended.