• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.108-113
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• 1999

Background: There is some concern that the administration of epidural analgesia for pain relief during labor increases the likelihood of cesarean delivery. But, several investigators showed a decrease in the rate of emergency cesarean delivery after epidural analgesia. The purpose of this study was to compare the emergency cesarean rate between the two groups with and without epidural analgesia. Methods: We reviewed retrospectively the medical records for 7846 parturients admitted our hospital between January 1, 1995 and December 31, 1996 and whose attending physician anticipated a normal labor and vaginal delivery. The number of parturients with epidural analgesia using 0.25% bupivacaine with fentanyl were 2839 and parturients without epidural analgesia were 5017. Results: An administration of epidural analgesia was not associated with the incidence of cesarean rate. 149 (5.25%) of 2839 parturients in epidural group and 371 (7.31%) of 5017 parturients in non-epidural group underwent emergency cesarean section. Conclusions: Our retrospective study has shown that an administration of epidural analgesia neither decrease nor increase in the rate of emergency cesarean delivery when compared with a non-epidural analgesia.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.126-134
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• 2012

Purpose: This research was done to compare obstetric pain, anxiety and cervical dilatation between an epidural analgesia group and a control group. Methods: Participants were assigned to the experimental or control group depending on their decisions for pain relief. Subjective / objective obstetric pain, anxiety level and cervical dilatation were measured and ANOVA was used for comparison of groups and paired t-test to make pre-post comparisons. Results: Homogeneity of pain, anxiety and cervical dilatation were assessed at the latent phase. Cervical dilatation was larger in the control group than the experimental group, at both the active and the transitional phase (F=22.9, p<.001; F=39.9, p<.001 respectively). The degree of pain and anxiety were not significantly different between the groups. Within the experimental group, subjective / objective pain and anxiety level were significantly lower post-analgesia compared to pre-analgesia in the active phase. All variables, except for sweating in the objective pain measurement, changed significantly at the transient phase. Conclusion: The results of this evidence-based research indicate that epidural analgesia while effective in relieving pain and anxiety may have an adverse effect on the cervix during labor stage I. Epidural analgesia should be used carefully during cervical dilatation in labor stage I.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.369-383
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• 2000

The purpose of this study was to understand clinical nurses' knowledge and attitudes on pain management. The subject of the study were 254 nurses working at two hospitals affiliated with a university in Seoul. The questionnaires included four areas: general knowledge on pain, knowledge on the use of analgesia, knowledge and implementation on the pain assessment scales and pain interventions and nurses' general characteristics. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, LSD test and t-test using SPSS statistical package. The results were as follows. 1. The mean score of the general pain knowledge was 61.46 and that of knowledge on the use of analgesia was 52.19. 2. Most nurses(74%) answered with hesitation about injecting narcotic analgesia to patients. 3. The pain assessment scale which nurses knew (57.5%) and used(48.0%) extremely was a simple descriptive scale. 4. The pain intervention which nurses knew (94.5%) and implemented(92.1%) extremely was to inject analgesia. 5. The number of nurses who had learned about pain management was 49 of 254(19.3%). 6. Nurses' knowledge on the use of analgesia was of relevance to having learned pain management, but general pain knowledge was not so relevant. According to this research, I suggest the following. 1. It is necessary to develop an education program with actual practice and intervention which nurses can perform for themselves. 2. It is necessary to continuously educate about pain management in clinical wards.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.192-196
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• 2006

Background: Epidural opioids are commonly used for postoperative analgesia. However, the side effects of epidural opioids include respiratory depression, sedation, pruritus, nausea, vomiting and urinary retention. Meperidine, due to its intermediate lipid solubility and local anesthetic properties, permits postoperative analgesia. The aim of this study was to compare meperidine alone to meperidine coupled with bupivacaine, and to determine the effects of epidural meperidine without bupivacaine, when used for epidural analgesia following hepatectomy abdominal surgery. Methods: Patients received thoracic epidural analgesia with meperidine alone (3.5 mg/ml in saline) or with additional bupivacaine (0.15%) for 2 days after surgery. Postoperative pain was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS) pain score 2 days after the operation, with the incidence and dose supplementation also evaluated. Postoperative side effects were assessed using a 3 grade system. Results: No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of age and weight, or in the pain scores, side effects, incidence and dose supplementation. Conclusions: 3.5 mg/ml epidural meperidine at a dose of 2 ml/hr provides effective postoperative analgesia.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.39-45
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• 2013

Background: Good postoperative pain control is an important part of adequate postoperative care. Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) provided better postoperative analgesia compared to other conventional analgesic methods, but several risks have been observed as well. We therefore surveyed the efficacy and safety of PCEA in this retrospective observational study. Methods: We analyzed collected data on 2,276 elective surgical patients who received PCEA with ropivacaine and fentanyl. Patients were assessed by a PCA service team in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), at 1-6 h, 6-24 h, and 24-48 h postoperatively for adequate pain control. The presence of PCEA-related adverse events was also assessed. Results: Numerical pain score (median [interquartile range]) were 3 [1-4], 5 [4-7], 4 [3-5], and 3 [3-5] in the PACU, at 1-6 h, 6-24 h, and 24-48 h postoperatively. Median pain scores in patients underwent major abdominal or thoracic surgery were higher than other surgical procedure in the PACU, at 1-6 h after surgery. Nausea and vomiting (20%) and numbness and motor weakness (15%) were revealed as major PCEA-related adverse events during the postoperative 48 h period. There were 329 patients (14%) for whom PCEA was ceased within 48 h following surgery. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the use of PCEA provides proper analgesia in the postoperative 48 h period after a wide variety of surgical procedures and that is associated with few serious complications. However, more careful pain management and sustainable PCEA monitoring considering the type of surgical procedure undergone is needed in patients with PCEA.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.191-198
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• 2018

Background: Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) is known to provide good postoperative analgesia in many types of surgery including laparoscopic surgery. However, no study has compared PCEA with patient-controlled intravascular analgesia (PCIA) in laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LARP). In this study, the efficacy and side effects of PCEA and PCIA after LARP were compared. Methods: Forty patients undergoing LARP were randomly divided into two groups: 1) a PCEA group, treated with 0.2% ropivacaine 3 ml and 0.1 mg morphine in the bolus; and 2) a PCIA group, treated with oxycodone 1 mg and nefopam 1 mg in the bolus. After the operation, a blinded observer assessed estimated blood loss (EBL), added a dose of rocuronium, performed transfusion, and added analgesics. The numeric rating scale (NRS), infused PCA dose, and side effects were assessed at 1, 6, 24, and 48 h. Results: EBL, added rocuronium, and added analgesics in the PCEA group were less than those in the PCIA group. There were no significant differences in side-effects after the operation between the two groups. Patients were more satisfied with PCEA than with PCIA. The NRS and accumulated PCA count were lower in PCEA group. Conclusions: Combined thoracic epidural anesthesia could induce less blood loss during operations. PCEA showed better postoperative analgesia and greater patient satisfaction than PCIA. Thus, PCEA may be a more useful analgesic method than PICA after LARP.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.171-176
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• 1998

Postoperative pain following tonsillectomy remains a significant obstacle to speedy recovery and smooth convalescence. Inadequate analgesia causes poor oral intake and influences the length of hospital stay and ability to return to normal activity. Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) is a method of analgesia adminstration that consists of a computer driven pump with a button that the patient may press to adminster a small dose of analgesic drug. The aim of this study was to examine whether Intravenous Patient Controlled Analgesia (IV-PCA) can reduce postoperative pain after tonsillectomy. The 100 patients undergoing tonsillectomy with general anesthesia were divided into two groups. The PCA group patients (n=80) received a mixture of nalbuphine and ketorolac by Walkmed PCA infusor during first 48 postoperative hours. In control group (n=20), the patients received oral acetoaminophen (Tyrenol) regularly and tiaprofenic acid (Surgam) intramuscularly on a p.r.n basis. Analgesic efficacy was evaluated with visual linear analogue scale (VAS) and the adverse effects were evaluated with 4 point scale. The patients of PCA group had less pain than those of control group. The adverse effects in the PCA group were nausea and vomiting. This study suggests that IV-PCA may be safe and effective method of pain control after adult tonsillectomy and is better accepted than oral or intramuscular pain medications.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.69-73
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• 1998

Background: The postoperative pain in children and adolescents is most commonly managed by intramuscular injections of NSAIDs or opioids. This approach may result in fluctuating plasma drug levels and cycles of pain, comfort, and sedation. Patient-controlled analgesia(PCA) is a method of analgesia administration that consists of a computer-driven pump with a button that the patient may press to administer a small dose of analgesic drug. Materials & Methods: Forty ASA physical status 1 or 2 children and adolescents were divided into two groups. In the PRN group, patients received intramuscularly diclofenac(Valentac$^{(R)}$) on a p.r.n. basis. The PCA group patients received a mixture of nalbuphine and ketorolac by WalkMed$^{(R)}$PCA infusor. Analgesic efficacy was evaluated with NRS(numerical rating scale) and Faces Pain Rating Scale. The side effects were evaluated. Results: The patients of PCA group had less pain than those of PRN group. Complications were similar in both group. Conclusions: PCA with nalbuphine and ketorolac is a safe and effective methods of pain relief in children and adolescents after surgery, and is better accepted than intramuscular injections.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2019

Background: Severe pain always develops after thoracotomy; intrapleural regional analgesia is used as a simple, safe technique to control it. This study was performed to evaluate whether a small dose of naloxone with local anesthetics prolongs sensory blockade. Methods: A prospective, randomized double-blinded controlled study was conducted on 60 patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists statuses I and II, aged 18 to 60 years, scheduled for unilateral thoracotomy surgery. After surgery, patients were randomly divided into two groups: through the intrapleural catheter, group B received 30 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine, while group N received 30 ml of 0.5% bupivacaine with 100 ng of naloxone. Postoperative pain was assessed using the visual analog pain scale (VAS). Time for the first request for rescue analgesia, total amount consumed, and incidence of postoperative complications were also recorded. Results: The VAS score significantly decreased in group N, at 6 h and 8 h after operation (P < 0.001 for both). At 12 h after injection, the VAS score increased significantly in group N (P < 0.001). The time for the first request of rescue analgesia was significantly longer in group N compared to group B (P < 0.001). The total amount of morphine consumed was significantly lower in group N than in the bupivacaine group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Addition of a small dose of naloxone to bupivacaine in intrapleural regional analgesia significantly prolonged pain relief after thoracotomy and delayed the first request for rescue analgesia, without significant adverse effects.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.12-20
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• 2000

The memory of pain can be more damaging than its initial experience. Several factors arc related the directions of pain memory: current pain intensity, emotion, expectation of pain, and peak intensity of previous pain. The possible mechanisms behind the memory of pain are neuroplastic changes of nervous system via peripheral and central sensitization. Peripheral sensitization is induced by neurohumoral alterations at the site of injury and nearby. Biochemicals such as K+, prostaglandins, bradykinin, substance P, histamine and serotonin, increase transduction and produce continuous nociceptive input. Central sensitization takes place within the dorsal horn of spinal cord and amplifies the nociceptive input from the periphery. The mechanisms of central sensitization involve a variety of transmitters and postsynaptic mechanisms resulting from the activations of NMDA receptors by glutamate. and activation of NK-1 tachykinnin receptors by substance-P and neurokinnin. The clinical result of peripheral and central sensitization is hyperalgesia, allodynia, spontaneous pain, referred pain, or sympathetically maintained pain. These persistent sensory responses to noxious stimuli arc a form of memory. The hypothesis of preemptive analgesia is that analgesia administered before the painful stimulus will prevent or reduce subsequent pain and analgesic requirements in comparison to the identical analgesic intervention administered after the painful stimulus, by preventing or reducing the memory of pain in the nervous system. Conventionally, pain management was initiated following noxious stimuli such as surgery. More recently, however many have endorsed preemptive analgesia initiated before surgery. Treatments to control postsurgical pain are often best started before injury activates peripheral nociceptors and triggers central sensitization. Such preemption is not achieved solely by regional anesthesia and drug therapy but also requires behavioral interventions to decrease anxiety or stress. Although the benefit of preemptive analgesia may not be obvious in every circumstance, and in many cases may not sufficient to abolish central sensitization, it is an appropriate and human goal of clinical practice.