D. Russell et al., PATIENT-CONTROLLED ANALGESIA WITH MORPHINE AND DROPERIDOL FOLLOWING CESAREAN-SECTION UNDER SPINAL-ANESTHESIA, Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 40(5), 1996, pp. 600-605
Background: The addition of droperidol to morphine for patient-control
led analgesia reduces the incidence of nausea and vomiting, but may re
sult in unwanted side effects. Method: We studied 40 women randomised
to receive morphine sulphate with or without added droperidol (10mg dr
operidol/60mg morphine) by patient-controlled analgesia following elec
tive caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia. Results: Median morph
ine demand in the 20h after surgery was 74mg with morphine alone, and
53mg with added droperidol, the median consumption of which was 8.8mg.
The incidence of nausea was reduced from 80% to 38.8%(P<0.01), and th
at of emesis from 55% to 16.7%(P<0.05) by the addition of droperidol.
Psychomotor function was significantly impaired to a similar degree in
both groups and there was no significant difference in sedation score
s or pain scores. Subjective drowsiness which resulted in withdrawal f
rom the study occurred in two patients, both of whom were receiving dr
operidol, and though all patients who completed the study were satisfi
ed with their analgesia overall, significantly more of those receiving
unsupplemented morphine (11/19 compared with 4/18, P<0.05) described
it as excellent. Conclusion: The addition of droperidol 10mg to morphi
ne 60mg for PCA following caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia r
educes the incidence of nausea and emesis, but may result in drowsines
s, limiting the usefulness of the technique.