Gm. Freedman et al., IMPROVING PATIENT-CONTROLLED ANALGESIA - ADDING DROPERIDOL TO MORPHINE-SULFATE TO REDUCE NAUSEA AND VOMITING AND POTENTIATE ANALGESIA, The Mount Sinai journal of medicine, 62(3), 1995, pp. 221-225
Opioid-related side effects, including nausea and vomiting, are common
in patients using morphine in patient-controlled analgesia for postop
erative pain relief. The purpose of this study was to determine if the
addition of droperidol to a morphine sulfate delivery system could de
crease the incidences of nausea and vomiting without increasing droper
idol-related side effects. Forty ASA 1 and 2 patients scheduled to und
ergo peripheral orthopedic surgery were randomized to receive either m
orphine sulfate (2 mg/mL), or morphine sulfate (1.9 mg/mL) plus droper
idol (0.125 mg/mL) for postoperative self-controlled analgesia. Visual
analogue scores for pain, nausea, and sedation were obtained from eac
h patient immediately after surgery and each morning and evening until
patient-controlled analgesia was discontinued approximately 48 hours
later. Total patient-controlled use of morphine sulfate was recorded a
t each visual analogue rating. The patients who used morphine sulfate
plus droperidol had significantly less nausea and vomiting and used si
gnificantly less morphine. No patient experienced droperidol-related s
ide effects. We conclude that the routine addition of droperidol to mo
rphine sulfate in self-controlled analgesia improves the comfort of pa
tients following peripheral orthopedic surgery.