MORPHINE CONSUMPTION AND RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN RECEIVINGPOSTOPERATIVE ANALGESIA FROM CONTINUOUS MORPHINE INFUSION OR PATIENT-CONTROLLED ANALGESIA

Thirty children, aged between five and 15 years, were randomly allocat ed to receive postoperative analgesia from continuous morphine infusio n (CMI) or patient controlled analgesia (PCA), also using morphine. Th e children's morphine consumption, respiratory rates, oxygen saturatio ns and observation points during which they were sleeping were recorde d during two periods, one on the day of operation and one the followin g day. The median dose of morphine consumed by the children using PCA was significantly larger than that consumed by the children having con tinuous infusions. Children aged between nine and 15 years using PCA h ad significantly lower minimum respiratory rates and minimum oxygen sa turations than similarly aged children receiving continuous infusions. There was no significant difference between the PCA and CMI groups in the number of observation times that the children were asleep or in t he minimum respiratory rates and minimum oxygen saturations in the awa ke and sleeping children.