ON-DEMAND ANALGESIA WITH PIRITRAMIDE IN CHILDREN - A STUDY ON DOSAGE SPECIFICATION AND SAFETY

The results of this study show that postoperative patient-controlled p ain therapy in children with piritramide is - in a similar way as with adults - a safe method involving a low incidence of side effects. A s pecial pump parameter setting is required with larger bolus dose sizes and longer lockout intervals, not very different from the experience gained with adults, and which is based on other values than those reco mmended up to now with morphine for paediatric PCA. Side effects were rarely observed. The fear of respiratory depression constitutes no rat ional reason to deny the younger patients this form of analgesia provi ded that monitoring is guaranteed.