Intrathecal Hydromorphone for Post-cesarean Delivery Pain - a Dose Finding Study

Summary

Pain relief after cesarean delivery can be provided in a few ways. Most commonly, certain medications called opioids, such as morphine, are given through the vein or into the muscle. However, a more effective way to give pain relief with fewer side effects (such as nausea and slowing your breathing) is to give opioids in the spinal space as part of the medications given for a cesarean delivery. For many years, the opioid of choice was morphine due to its long anesthetic effect and acceptable side effect profile. A nation-wide disruption in the supply of preservative-free morphine has made it necessary to look for alternatives. Many institutions worldwide have used another opioid, called hydromorphone, in the spinal space for over a decade. This drug has a very good safety and side effect profile and has been used at the investigators' institution for more than a year. Of interest, while a number of different doses of hydromorphone have been used, there have been very few studies to evaluate the best dose for providing good pain relief with minimal side effects. The goal of this study is to find the best dose of spinal hydromorphone for women undergoing cesarean delivery.

Timeline

Start

2014-12

Primary completion

2016-07

Completion

2016-08

Publications

• Background Wang JK, Nauss LA, Thomas JE. Pain relief by intrathecally applied morphine in man. Anesthesiology. 1979 Feb;50(2):149-51. doi: 10.1097/00000542-197902000-00013. No abstract available.
• Background Ross BK, Hughes SC. Epidural and spinal narcotic analgesia. Clin Obstet Gynecol. 1987 Sep;30(3):552-65. doi: 10.1097/00003081-198709000-00010. No abstract available.
• Background Palmer CM, Emerson S, Volgoropolous D, Alves D. Dose-response relationship of intrathecal morphine for postcesarean analgesia. Anesthesiology. 1999 Feb;90(2):437-44. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199902000-00018.
• Background Milner AR, Bogod DG, Harwood RJ. Intrathecal administration of morphine for elective Caesarean section. A comparison between 0.1 mg and 0.2 mg. Anaesthesia. 1996 Sep;51(9):871-3. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1996.tb12622.x.
• Background Lee YS, Park YC, Kim JH, Kim WY, Yoon SZ, Moon MG, Min TJ. Intrathecal hydromorphone added to hyperbaric bupivacaine for postoperative pain relief after knee arthroscopic surgery: a prospective, randomised, controlled trial. Eur J Anaesthesiol. 2012 Jan;29(1):17-21. doi: 10.1097/EJA.0b013e3283476055.

Drugs

Indications

No indication recorded.