Analgesia after hip replacement surgery: comparison of nalbuphine with morphine

• Published in: British journal of anaesthesia : BJA Vol. 63; no. 6; p. 756
• Main Authors: Fee, J P, Brady, M M, Furness, G, Chambers, M, Clarke, R S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-12-1989
• Subjects: Analgesia; Double-Blind Method; Hip Prosthesis; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Morphinans - therapeutic use; Morphine - administration & dosage; Morphine - therapeutic use; Nalbuphine - administration & dosage; Nalbuphine - therapeutic use; Pain, Postoperative - drug therapy; Random Allocation
• ISSN: 0007-0912
• DOI: 10.1093/bja/63.6.756

Two groups of 40 patients undergoing hip replacement received either nalbuphine 0.3 mg kg-1 or morphine 0.15 mg kg-1 i.m. on up to three occasions: 1 h before operation, as soon as requested after operation, and 3 h subsequently if required. Pain intensity was assessed by the patient as severe, moderate or none, and pain relief by a "blind" nurse observer as slight, moderate or complete. Assessments of pain and sedation were carried out at 30-min intervals for 2 h and at 1-h intervals thereafter for up to 6 h. Six patients who received nalbuphine and eight who received morphine before operation required no postoperative analgesia. Ten patients in the nalbuphine group and two in the morphine group failed to obtain adequate pain relief (P less than 0.05) and were given i.v. morphine.