[The effect of flunarizine pretreatment on postoperative morphine consumption]

This study was designed to document the effects 10 mg flunarizine, administrated in the preoperative period, on postoperative morphine requirement and analgesic quality, in abdominal surgery.

Thirty patients, aged 18 to 55 years, were studied. Patients were randomly allocated to one of two equally sized groups, and received either 2 capsules of 5 mg flunarizine (Group I) or 2 placebo capsules (Group II) 2 hours before the operation, immediately after the extubation and at the 15th minute, Aldrete postanesthesia recovery scores were assessed. In the postoperative period, patients were connected to a patient-controlled analgesia device for intravenous morphine, and the first analgesic requirement time was recorded. Ramsay sedation scale, visual analogue pain scale and morphine consumption were assessed after the extubation.

Systolic arterial pressures at the 5th minute of the preoperative period were significantly lower in the flunarizine group than placebo group. Heart rates in the 45th minute were also lower in the flunarizine group. Flunarizine patients reported statistically lower visual analogue pain scale values in the postoperative 12th hour. There was no significant difference in postoperative sedation scores between the groups. Flunarizine did not lengthen the first analgesic requirement time and similarly did not lessen the morphine requirement.

We conclude that 10 mg flunarizine administered in the preoperative period had no significant effects on clinical parameters, had no analgesic effect and did not augment the analgesic effects of morphine at this dose.