Spinal Morphine for Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Summary

Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) appear to be especially vulnerable to medications that suppress pharyngeal muscle activity such as general anesthetics and opioids. Opioids can depress the ventilator response to airway obstruction and inhibit the awakening response to hypoxia and hypercarbia, resulting in central respiratory depression. OSA is therefore an important risk factor for serious postoperative complications, including perioperative death. While OSA is increasingly recognized as a serious perioperative concern, current clinical practices are highly inconsistent with regard to the management of surgical patients with OSA. Additionally, the relative safety of intrathecal opioids in this patient population remains unknown.

Timeline

Start

2020-01

Primary completion

2020-08

Completion

2020-08

Outcome

Outcome not reported

Stopped: “competing studies”

Publications

• Background Liu SS, Wu CL. The effect of analgesic technique on postoperative patient-reported outcomes including analgesia: a systematic review. Anesth Analg. 2007 Sep;105(3):789-808. doi: 10.1213/01.ane.0000278089.16848.1e.

Drugs

Indications