PATIENT-CONTROLLED ANALGESIA WITH A MIXTURE OF MORPHINE AND DROPERIDOL

In a prospective study, 50 women who had undergone uncomplicated abdom inal hysterectomy under general anaesthesia were allocated randomly to receive patient-controlled analgesia with either morphine alone or a mixture of morphine and droperidol. Bolus doses of morphine 1 mg and d roperidol 0.05 mg were used with a lockout time of 5 min. During the f irst 24 h after surgery the mean (range) dose of droperidol in the dro peridol group was 3.2 (1.9-6.0) mg. Significantly fewer patients in th e droperidol group felt nauseated (P < 0.01) and significantly fewer v omited (P < 0.001). In the morphine alone group, 19 patients required additional antiemetic therapy, whereas in the droperidol group only on e patient found this necessary (P < 0.001). Extrapyramidal side effect s were not observed in any patient. Significantly more patients were o f the opinion that PCA had provided excellent analgesia when droperido l had been used (P < 0.01).