Postoperative epidural morphine analgesia in Papua New Guinea

In order to introduce the technique of epidural narcotics for pain relief in Papua New Guinea, fifty patients were given low doses of epidural morphine and thereupon the quality of analgesia and morbidity evaluated. The lowest effective epidural morphine dose was determined by considering the patient's characteristics and height of surgical incision. Pain relief was provided for three postoperative days in the surgical or gynaecological wards. The quality of analgesia thus provided was excellent in all the patients with no incidence of clinically significant respiratory depression or hypotension. Minor complications such as nausea, vomiting, pruritus and retention of urine were also relatively uncommon.