ABSTRACT
Background:The synergistic action of local anesthetics and morphine is well known, morphine probably more superior for postoperative analgesia, when compared to other opioids. Preservative-free morphine is now available in India making intrathecal administration possible. The present randomized double blind study was designed to evaluate the effect of adding preservative free morphine to hyperbaric bupivacaine given intrathecally for abdominal hysterectomy.Methods:Following approval by the institutional review board and institutional research grant committee, eighty patients presenting for elective abdominal hysterectomy were included in this randomized, double blind study. All drugs used for spinal anesthesia were autoclaved as per the departmental protocol. 3.5 ml of hyperbaric bupivacaine 0.5% [heavy] was given in both groups along with preservative free morphine accordingto study group.Results:27.5% (11/40) patients in group A, 17.5% (7/40) patients in group B received one dose of rescue analgesia (ketorolac 10 mg),during the 24 hours for pain relief while 29 patients is group A (72.5%) and 82.5% (33/40) patients in group B received 2 doses of rescue analgesia. 10% patients in Group A (4/40) and 10% patients in Group B (4/40) had a sedation score of 1(drowsy and arousable). Conclusions: The mean duration of analgesia in patients who received 250 μgms of intrathecal morphine was 18.725±1.38 hours while in patients who received 150 μgms it is 16.075±1.23 hours. We conclude that 250 μgms of preservative-free intrathecal morphine provides longer duration of analgesia when compared to 150 μgms morphine, with hardly any additional adverse effects.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The assessment of strength and its relationships with functional capacity could contribute to more specific and effective disability management of stroke survivors. OBJECTIVE: To compare and investigate associations between measures of strength and functional capacity of 98 chronic stroke survivors, stratified into three groups, according to their physical activity levels. METHOD: The physical activity levels were classified as impaired, moderately active, and active, based on their Human Activity Profile (HAP) scores. Strength was assessed by the maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressures and by the residual deficits (RDs) of work of the lower limb and trunk muscles, whereas functional capacity was evaluated by the distance covered during the six-minute walking test (6MWT). RESULTS: One-way analyses of variance revealed significant differences between the groups, except between the active and moderately active groups regarding the RDS of the hip and knee flexors/extensors and ankle dorsiflexors (2.91<F<8.62; 0.001<p<0.01). Differences between the groups were found for the 6MWT (F=10.75; p<0.001), but no differences were found for the MIP and MEP measures (0.92<F<2.13; 0.13<p<0.40). Significant, negative, and fair correlations were observed between the RDS of the hip and knee muscles and the 6MWT (0.30<r<-0.43; p<0.01) and the HAP (-0.28<r<-0.41; p<0.01). Moderate to good correlations were found between the 6MWT and the HAP (r=0.50; p<0.0001). There were no significant correlations between measures of respiratory strength and any of the investigated variables (-0.11<r<0.12; 0.26<p<0.56). CONCLUSIONS: Lower strength deficits and higher functional capacity were associated with higher physical activity levels. However, the moderately active and active groups demonstrated similar strength deficits. .