B. Lisander, EVALUATION OF THE ANALGESIC EFFECT OF METOCLOPRAMIDE AFTER OPIOID-FREE ANALGESIA, British Journal of Anaesthesia, 70(6), 1993, pp. 631-633
Metoclopramide may enhance opioid analgesia, but it is not known if th
e drug is analgesic itself. This question was examined in a double-bli
nd, randomized study of 38 patients undergoing knee arthroscopy with o
pioid-free anaesthesia comprising propofol, isoflurane and nitrous oxi
de in oxygen. At the end of surgery, patients received either metoclop
ramide 0.5 mg kg-1 or placebo iv. After operation, they received patie
nt-controlled analgesia with pethidine for 3 h, during which period, p
ain score was assessed on a visual analogue scale (VAS). There were no
significant differences between the groups in the patterns of pethidi
ne consumption. However, the VAS-pain scores tended to be smaller in t
he metoclopramide group; this difference was significant 30 min after
operation. These results do not demonstrate conclusively a clinically
relevant analgesic action of metoclopramide.