POSTOPERATIVE RESPIRATORY-FUNCTION IN CHILDREN AFTER ABDOMINAL-SURGERY - A COMPARISON OF EPIDURAL AND INTRAMUSCULAR MORPHINE ANALGESIA

Thirty children undergoing urological and abdominal surgery were enter ed into a randomised trial comparing the effects of epidural and intra muscular morphine on postoperative respiratory function. The forced vi tal capacity and the forced expired volume in is were measured before and 6 h after surgery and on each of the following seven days. Signifi cant decreases (p < 0.01) in forced vital capacity and forced expired volume in is were seen after surgery. After the first postoperative da y, a gradual recovery in pulmonary function was observed but the measu red parameters had not returned to their pre-operative control values by the end of the study. There were no statistically significant diffe rences between the two groups during the study with respect to forced vital capacity and forced expired volume in 1 s. The quality of analge sia was better in the epidural morphine group than in the intramuscula r morphine group. The incomplete recovery of pulmonary function sugges ts that pain is not the only cause of postoperative respiratory change s in these patients.