Intrathecal drug delivery system in the treatment of chronic intractable pain: a report of 18 cases / 中华麻醉学杂志

ABSTRACT

From November 2003 to May 2010, intrathecal drug delivery system (IDDS) was implanted in 18 patients with chronic intractable pain. Analgesia was provided with morphine. Thirteen patients suffered from late stage cancer and 5 from diseases other than cancer. VAS score was used to measure intensity of pain in all 18patients. QLQ-C30 score was used to evaluate quality of life in cancer patients. The patients were followed up for 3-62 months in 5 non-cancer patients. All 13 cancer patients died at 57 days-10 months after operation. VAS scores were significantly decreased and QLQ-C30 scores increased by intrathecal administration of morphine. Side effects developed in all patients to some extent including nausea, vomiting, constipation, urinary retention, pruritus and over-sedation and vanished in a week. Intrathecal catheter was cut while being pulled out of the needle in 1 patient. Two patients developed low intracranial pressure after operation. Cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred in 1 patient. One patient developed neuropathic pain in the posterolateral side of right leg.