Effect of intrathecal morphine plus patient-controlled analgesia with morphine versus patient-controlled analgesia with morphine alone on total morphine dose 24 hours post-surgery: a systematic review.

Objective: The objective of this review was to evaluate the effects of preoperative intrathecal morphine (ITM) in addition to patient-controlled analgesia with morphine (PCAM) versus PCAM without preoperative ITM on total morphine dose in the first 24 hours postoperatively in adult patients undergoing abdominal or thoracic surgery.

Introduction: Postoperative pain is a significant problem for patients undergoing major abdominal and thoracic surgery. Intrathecal morphine can reduce postoperative pain and reduce intravenous (IV) morphine requirements during the first 24 hours after surgery; however, the amount of IV morphine dose reduction achieved has not been well established.

Effects of preoperative intrathecal morphine on postoperative intravenous morphine dosage: a systematic review protocol.

The purpose of this systematic review is to describe the effect of preoperative intrathecal morphine (ITM) on postoperative intravenous (IV) morphine dosage during the first postoperative day. This systematic review will compare the postoperative IV morphine dosage of patients receiving ITM plus morphine morphine-based patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), to patients receiving PCA morphine without ITM. This will establish the magnitude of the postoperative morphine sparing effect of ITM.