Epidural morphine and post-operative pain relief

Epidural morphine was compared with placebo in two randomly selected but similar groups of patients undergoing upper abdominal operations. There was no quantitative or qualitative difference in the analgesia obtained in the two groups of patients but there were significantly diminished long term requirements of intramuscular morphine in those who had been previously given epidural morphine when compared with epidural placebo. The possible causes and implications of this difference are discussed.