EVALUATION OF THE RISK OF OXYGEN DESATURA TION AFTER BUPRENORPHINE ORMORPHINE ADMINISTRATION IN THE EARLY POSTOPERATIVE PERIOD

The purpose of this study, conducted in a PACU in the early recovery p eriod of orthopaedic procedures under general anaesthesia, was to comp are the time course of O2 arterial saturation (SpO2), measured by puls e oximetry, after the intramuscular administration of either buprenorp hine (0.30 mg) or morphine (10 mg). The rate of patients who had an ep isode of O2 desaturation (defined as a SpO2 under 95 %) was similar in both groups : 73 % after buprenorphine vs 67 % after morphine. The cu mulative duration of desaturation episodes was higher following bupren orphine (p < 10(-5)). Finally, in patients who had at least one episod e of arterial desaturation, the mean duration of these episodes was id entical in both groups. However the average number of episodes per pat ient was significantly higher in the buprenorphine group. These result s should lead us to be cautious with the use of buprenorphine during t he early recovery period, especially as this agent has specific charac teristics such as a long duration of action and resistance to naloxone .