[Post-operative respiratory function after subcutaneous and epidural morphine analgesia (author's transl)]

In 20 elderly patients who underwent cholecystectomy post-operative analgesia was obtained with morphine given either subcutaneously (n = 10) or epidurally (n = 10). Both groups were comparable as to age and pre-operative respiratory function values. On the first post-operative day, vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in one second and and paO2 were significantly higher in the epidural morphine group (respectively 70 +/- 6 p. cent and 68 +/- 6 p. cent of pre-operative values, and 74 +/- 3 mmHg) (mean +/- s.e.m.) than in the subcutaneous morphine group, where the corresponding figures were 52 +/- 4 p. cent, 48 +/- 5 p. cent and 63 +/- 2 mmHg respectively. PaCO2 was unchanged in both groups. These data indicate that epidural morphine analgesia to some extent reduces the post-operative respiratory dysfunction observed after abdominal surgery.