Supplementation of General Anaesthesia With Narcotic Analgesics

Abstract

Four analgesic drugs--fentanyl, phenoperidine, morphine and pethidine--were compared in a double-blind trial involving 113 patients paralysed and ventilated with nitrous oxide and oxygen. The differences between the drugs were relatively small. There were only slight differences in "duration of action", a term which is questioned in this context. Pethidine appeared to have a slightly longer duration of action than the other drugs. The problems inherent in studying analgesics in this manner are discussed.

Neuroleptanalgesia in otorhinolaryngology

“…Fluctuations in blood pressure and pulse rate in response to developing awareness are the rule. Some workers' regard an increase in pulse rate as the most reliable sign of inadequate analgesia (Morgan et ah, 1974;Holmes, 1976), or an indication of decreasing analgesia (Florence, 1978).…”

Preliminary Investigation Into a New Method of Assessing the Quality of Anaesthesia: The Cardiovascular Response to a Measured Noxious Stimulus

“…Changes in heart rate, cardiac rhythm and arterial pressure, sweating and vasoconstriction have been reported during anaesthesia and surgery, particularly in patients who have received a myoneural blocking drug. These responses may be reduced or abolished by the use of narcotic supplements (Mushin and Rendell-Baker, 1949;Siker, 1956;Loder, 1957;Davies, 1957;Dundee et al, 1969;Holmes, 1976). However, it has always been difficult to define the clinical indications for giving increments of an analgesic (Siker, 1956;Holmes, 1976).…”