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Pediatric patient-controlled analgesia with morphine versus meperidine
Insights
Morphine provided better pain relief than meperidine for pediatric patients using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). No significant differences in side effects were observed between the two opioids, suggesting morphine is superior for pediatric PCA.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Anesthesiology
- Pain Management
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Postoperative pain management in children is crucial for recovery.
- Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is an effective method for managing pediatric pain.
- Morphine and meperidine are commonly used opioids for PCA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy and safety of morphine versus meperidine in pediatric PCA.
- To evaluate differences in analgesia and side effect frequency between morphine and meperidine.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, randomized study involving 50 pediatric patients (ages 8-16 years).
- Patients received postoperative PCA with either morphine or meperidine.
- Pain scores assessed using a numerical rating scale twice daily.
- Incidence of side effects (nausea, vomiting, pruritus, urinary retention) was recorded.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in the frequency of side effects between morphine and meperidine groups.
- Pain scores were significantly lower in patients receiving morphine PCA compared to meperidine PCA (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Morphine demonstrates superior analgesia compared to meperidine in pediatric PCA.
- Morphine is a more effective opioid choice for managing postoperative pain in children via PCA.
Abstract:
To assess prospectively any difference in either analgesia or side effect frequency with morphine versus meperidine, 50 patients, ages 8-16 years, were randomly assigned to receive postoperative patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with either morphine or meperidine. A numerical rating scale pain score was obtained from each patient twice a day, and any nausea, vomiting, pruritus, or urinary retention requiring catheterization was noted. No significant difference in the incidence of side effects was noted between the morphine and meperidine groups; however, pain scores during morphine PCA were significantly less than those during meperidine PCA (P less than 0.001). These results suggest that morphine is the better opioid for pediatric PCA.