Meptazinol: I.M. use in postoperative pain

In a population of 39 patients, the new analgesic drug Meptazinol was tested in postoperative period at a dose of 100 mg I.M., administered only on request of the patient. Cardiovascular and respiratory parameters were not altered significantly. The onset of analgesia was rapid (+/- fifteen minutes) with a maximum reached after thirty minutes; the provided analgesia was good for about two hours as evaluated by the anesthetist and the nurse. The patient asked for a new dose only after about five hours.