[Studies on comparison of the postoperative analgesic method between epidural morphine hydrochloride and pentazocine]

To investigate effects of epidural morphine and pentazocine on postoperative pain, eighty-eight women who have undergone gynecological abdominal surgery were studied. 1) As for onset of analgesia, there was statistically no significant difference between morphine and pentazocine. 2) The duration of analgesic effect of epidural morphine significantly lasted longer than epidural pentazocine. The duration of analgesic effect of epidural morphine showed a tendency to be longer in the groups of morphine 4 or 6mg than 2mg, but there was no significant difference between the groups of morphine 4 and 6mg. 3) On the postoperative first discharge of bowel gas, there was statistically no significant difference between morphine and pentazocine. The onset time of the gas discharge showed a tendency to be longer in the groups of morphine 4 or 6mg than 2mg. In case of pentazocine, it may be longer in 15mg than 10mg. 4) As for side effects, nausea, vomiting, thirsty, redness of the face and sweating were mainly observed. However, respiratory depression as well as sensory and motor disturbance which frequently observed after epidural injections of the local anesthetic were not recognized in these procedures. But circulatory depression and urinary retention were observed in only one cases of epidural morphine.