[Serum morphine concentrations and analgesia in epidural or subcutaneous morphine administration in obstetrics]

The analgesic effect of three mg morphine hydrochloride administered either epidurally or subcutaneously to 14 primiparae was compared. The maternal serum concentrations of morphine were determined in defined intervals over a period of four hours. Analgesia was significantly superior following epidural morphine, but unsatisfactory in both groups. Good pain relief was achieved by subsequent epidural administrations of bupivacaine.