A prospective randomized trial of nebulized morphine compared with patient-controlled analgesia morphine in the management of acute thoracic pain.

Background: Successfully managing pain for the trauma patient decreases morbidity, improves patient satisfaction, and is an essential component of critical care. Using patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) morphine to control pain may be complicated by concerns of respiratory depression, hemodynamic instability, addiction, urinary retention, and drug-induced ileus. Morphine is rapidly absorbed by mucosal surfaces in the respiratory tract, achieving systemic concentrations equal to 20% of equivalent intravenous doses.