• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.363-367
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• 1996

Background: Recently postoperative pain control with continuous epidural analgesia has been increased. This study aimes to evaluate backpain following continuous epidural analgesia by pressure threshold meter (algometer). Methods: After informed consent, 50 ASA physical status I or II patients undergoing elective gynecologic surgery were selected. After placing epidural catheter, patients received morphine 0.05mg/kg with 0.25% bupivacaine 5 ml followed by continuous infusion of 0.125% bupivacaine 100 ml with morphine 4 mg for 48 hours. backpain was measured by pressure algometer over lumbar paraspinalis at the L4 level, 5 and 7 cm from the midline on preoperative, operation day, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th postoperative days. Results: Postoperative mean pressure thresholds of were higher than preoperative value (p<0.05). Conclusion: The continuous epidural analgesia dose not provide or aggravate postoperative backpain, but it must be evaluated for long term follow-up.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.47-53
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• 1998

Background: Epidural coadministration of opioids and local anesthetics has provided excellent analgesia during postoperative period. However, it is usually associated with the occurance of many side effects which were induced by epidural morphine. Low dose of intravenous naloxone has been known to reduce morphine-induced side effects without reversing analgesia, but the effect of epidural naloxone has not been defined in human study. Therefore we evaluated side effects and analgesia when naloxone was administered via epidural route. Methods: Eighty patients having epiduro-general anesthesia for hysterectomy were randomly assigned to one of four study groups. As a mean of postoperative pain control, all received 2 mg of epidural morphine bolusly at 1 hr before the end of surgery and continuous epidural infusion was started by Two-day Infusor containing morphine 4 mg in 0.125% bupivacaine 100 ml with either none of naloxone(Group 1, n=20), 2 ug/kg/day of naloxone(Group 2, n=20), 3 ug/kg/day of naloxone(Group 3, n=20) or 4 ug/kg/day of naloxone(Group 4, n=20). Study endpoints included visual analog scales(VAS) for pain, severity of nausea, itching, somnolence and respiratory depression. They were assessed at 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 48 hr postoperatively. Results: VAS for pain showed significant difference in Group 4 compared with Group 1 at all of the evaluation time. Itching score decreased significantly in Group 3 and 4 after 8 hr postoperatively and nausea score decreased significantly in Group 3 after 4 hr postoperatively. Alertness score decreased significantly in Group 3 and 4 especially in early postoperative period. Conclusion: This study suggests that epidural naloxone reduce morphine-induced side effects in dose-dependent fashion without reversal of the analgesic effect of epidural morphine.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.188-192
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• 1994

Recently, epidural morphine has been administrated to decrease patients' systemic stress responses such as: suffers, endocrine responses and impairment of pulmonary function, etc. Epidural morphine provided excellent analgesic effect, but incomplete sensory blockade as compared to epidural local anesthetics, which has sympathetic blockade effect and tachyphylaxis. Therefore, the authors surmised that low dose bupivacaine on low dose epidural morphine improved postoperative pain with greater sensory analgesia than epidural morphine alone. The effect of low dose bupivacaine on epidural morphine analgesia for postoperative pain was evaluated in seventy patients. They were physical status I-III by ASA classification. Patients were randomly divided into 2 groups and they were administrated morphine 2.5 mg only (group I), morphine 2.5 mg plus 0.125% bupivacaine (group II) through epidural catheter 1 hour before the end of the operation. During postoperative second days, their analgesic effects were evaluated by visual analogue scale (0-10). Side effects were also evaluated. The results were as follows, 1) On the day of the operation, VAS score showed significant differences between two groups (morphine group $3.20{\pm}0.16$, morphine plus bupivacaine group $2.77{\pm}0.08$; p < 0.05). 2) On the postoperative and second day, there were no statistical differences between the groups according to VAS score. 3) The incidence of pruritus, nausea, and vomiting were no differences in both groups. 4) None of the patients showed objective sedation or a low respiratory rate (< 10 bpm). We concluded that epidural administration of low dose bupivacaine on the epidural morphine analgesia was an effective method to decrease postoperative pain with little change in frequencies of side effects compared to epidural morphine alone.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.146-149
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• 1998

Herpes zoster is a viral disease characterized by skin rash and persistent pain. Early treatment with epidural analgesia provides very effective pain relief and reduces the incidence of postherpetic neuralgia. However, epidural analgesia in elderly, deliberated or hypovolemic patients may complicate circulatory depression such as hypotension and bradycardia. Even if temporary, a major decrease in blood pressure may decrease coronary blood flow of patients with arteriosclerosis and ischemic accident may occur. We experienced a case of unstable angina pectoris after lumbar epidural blockade in a herpes zoster patient with chronic stable angina pectoris.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.296-300
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• 1997

Continuous epidural analgesia has been used widely for treatment of acute abdominal postoperative pain. Neurologic complications related to epidural analgesia occur infrequently but may be caused by various chemical, mechanical, ischemic or idiopathic factors. We report a case of abdominal hysterectomy in which unilateral lower extremity paralysis occurred after continuous epidural analgesia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.139-144
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• 2014

Background: To manage intractable cancer pain, an alternative to systemic analgesics is neuraxial analgesia. In long-term treatment, intrathecal administration could provide a more satisfactory pain relief with lower doses of analgesics and fewer side-effects than that of epidural administration. However, implantable drug delivery systems using intrathecal pumps in Korea are very expensive. Considering cost-effectiveness, we performed epidural analgesia as an alternative to intrathecal analgesia. Methods: We retrospectively investigated the efficacy, side effects, and complications of epidural morphine and local anesthetic administration through epidural catheters connected to a subcutaneous injection port in 29 Korean terminal cancer patients. Patient demographic data, the duration of epidural administration, preoperative numerical pain rating scales (NRS), side effects and complications related to the epidural catheterization and the drugs, and the numerical pain rating scales on the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 30th postoperative days were determined from the medical records. Results: The average score for the numerical pain rating scales for the 29 patients decreased from $7{\pm}1.0$ at baseline to $3.6{\pm}1.4$ on postoperative day 1 (P < 0.001). A similar decrease in pain intensity was maintained for 30 days (P < 0.001). Nausea and vomiting were the most frequently reported side effects of the epidural analgesia and two patients (6.9%) experienced paresthesia. Conclusions: Epidural morphine and local anesthetic infusion with a subcutaneous pump seems to have an acceptable risk-benefit ratio and allows a high degree of autonomy to patients with cancer pain.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.192-198
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• 1988

Sixty patients, of ASA physical status class I for elective operations in the lower abdomen, perineum, or lower extremities, were studied in a comparative prospective trial to evaluate the efficacy of epidural morphine and ketamine for postoperative analgesia. They were divided into two groups: an epidural morphine sulfate group (EMS group; 30 patients), and an epidural ketamine hydrochloride group (EKH group; 30 patients). Indwelling epidural catheters were placed in the patients' lumber areas (L3-4) and then all patients were anesthetized with thiopental, nitrous oxide, and halothane. After the patients had fully recovered from the anesthesia, the analgesic agents were administered epidurally via the catheter when the patients complained of pain in the postoperative period. The groups were given either 0.1 mg/kg of morphine sulfate or 0.5 mg/kg of ketamine hydrochloride administered in a volume of 10 ml of normal saline. Patients were observed for the onset and duration of postoperative analgesia and for other effects. Total doses were $5.7{\pm}0.6\;mg$ of morphine sulfate in the EMS group and $27.9{\pm}3.3\;mg$ of ketamine hydrochloride in the EKH group. The onset of analgesia was detectable within 35 min.($23.5{\pm}6.3$ min) in 86.7% (26 cases) of the EMS group and within 10 min. ($7.8{\pm}3.7$ min.) in 76.7% (23 cases) of the EKH group. Mean duration of postoperative analgesia was $22.3{\pm}2.1\;hr$. in the EMS group. In the EKH group, the duration of analgesia was shorter and variable, the range of duration was from 2 hr. to 24 hr., Cardiopulmonary changes were statistically insignificant ih both groups. Side effects such as nausea, vomiting, urinary retention, pruritus, dizziness, and headache were observed in EMS group. In the EKH group, there was no discomfort except dizziness (3 cases) and headache (1 case). Epidural ketamine was a safe technique for postoperative analgesia, but because of the variability and relative shortness in the duration of analgesia the use of this technique will require further clinical trials.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.268-272
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• 1998

Background: Postoperative bleeding is a common complication in transurethral resection of prostate (TURP). Some patients become restless and combative after operation, particularly when in pain, producing bleeding from the prostatic bed. So many patients may be necessary to pain control for reduce bleeding. The purpose of this study is to compare recently used two Methods for post-operative analgesia. Methods: We studied 40 patients, ASA physical staus 1, 2, undergone TURP under general anesthesia. The patients divided into two groups: continuous epidural pain control group (I, n=20) received an epidural bolus of morphine 2 mg and 1% lidocaine 10 ml followed by a epidural 0.08% bupivacaine 40 ml and morphine 4.5 mg (basal infusion rate 0.5 ml/hr), intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) group (II, n=20) received an intravenous bolus of fentanyl $50\sim100{\mu}g$ followed by a IV-PCA morphine 30 mg, ketorolac 180 mg and droperdol 2.5 mg (basal infusion rate 0.5 ml/hr, bolus 0.5 ml, lock-out interval 15 min). This study conducted the analgesic efficacy, side effect and patient's satisfaction for 1 day after TURP. Results: Continuous epidural pain control group had more significant analgesia than IV-PCA at postoperative 30, 60 min, but no significant difference was observed later in both group. Nausea and pruritus were scantly developed in both group but the incidence was no significant differeance. Patients responded good satisfaction over 70% in both group. Conclusions: Postoperative continuous epidural pain block and IV-PCA are both effective Methods of postoperative pain control with lower incidence of side effects.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.211-218
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• 1997

This experiment was carried out to develop the anesthetic methods for ultrasonography and a new simplified disposable needle guidance device for ovum pick-up(OPU) in cows. Three different anesthetic methods were applied as. 1) epidural analgesia only with 2% lidocaine(20~30 ml), 2) epidural analgesia with 2% under general sedation with xylazine, 3) epidural analgesia with 2% lidocaine under general sedation with detomidine. We evaluated the anesthetic effects with items such as relaxation of anal sphincter, tail movement and rectal wall, retractability of both ovaries, additional anesthesia and possibility of OPU. Through this experiment, the above three anesthetic methods were applicable to OPU, but the epidural anlagesia under general sedation with detomldine was most effective for OPU. We developed a new disposable needle guidance device with stainless steel tube. With this, disposable needles can be easily attatchable to any other intravaginal probes. And also, it was found to he practical, economic and effective for OPU with the recovery rate of 51.2%.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 1997

Backgound: The present study was undertaken to determine whether fentanyl or bupivacaine is a better adjuvant to epidural morphine with respect to postoperative analgesic use and with fewer incidence of side effects. Methods: We evaluated the clinical effects in 62 patients having cesarean section, divided in 3groups randomly. Group I(n=19) was received epidural morphine 4 mg, group II(n=22) was received epidural morphine 2 mg plus fentanyl 50 ${\mu}g$ and group III(n=21) was received morphine 2 mg plus 0.25% bupivacaine 10 ml epidurally. We measured the first request time of analgesic for postoperative pain, the number of supplemental analgesics within 24 hours and the incidence of side effects postoperatively. Results: The first request time of analgesic for postoperative pain was significantly shorter in group III than in group I and II. The analgesic use in the first 24 hours was significantly more in group III than in group I and II. The side effects were significantly fewer incidence in group II than in group I and III. Conclusions: In conclusion, the combined use of epidural morphine and fentanyl provided better analgesia than the combined of epidural morphine and bupivacaine.