Intrathecal morphine reduces the minimum alveolar concentration of halothane in humans

The authors hypothesized that the analgesia provided by intraspinal opiates would decrease anesthetic requirement. To test this hypothesis, 20 women undergoing major gynecologic surgery were divided randomly into two groups. One group received 0.75 mg morphine sulfate intrathecally, and the other, the same dose intramuscularly (control), prior to the induction of anesthesia with halothane. MAC for halothane was 0.81% in the control group and 0.46% in the intrathecal morphine group (P = 0.024). The reduction in anesthetic requirement due to intrathecal morphine is greater than that produced by low to moderate doses of systemically administered opiates.