Thoracic epidural for post-thoracotomy pain: a comparison of three concentrations of sufentanil in bupivacaine

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT. Background:The aim of this prospective, double blind, randomised trial was to compare the analgesic and adverse effectsof three concentrations of the thoracic epidural sufentanil with bupivacaine in patients undergoing thoracotomy.Methods:We studied 60 (randomised) patients who were to receive a 10 ml bolus dose of sufentanil, 1µg/ml, 2 µg/ml and3 µg/ml, in bupivacaine 0.125%, via thoracic epidural. Postoperatively, pain at rest, on coughing and with ambulation wasassessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and observer verbal ranking score (OVRS) at 2, 6, 12 and 24 hours. Adverseeffects were simultaneously assessed.Results:There was no significant difference in the baseline characteristics between the three groups. The number of patientswith episodes of unsatisfactory pain, i.e. a VAS scores ≥ 40 and OVRS ≥ 2, at each of the four assessments postoperatively,was significantly higher with sufentanil 1 g/ml than with sufentanil 2 µg/ml or µ3 g/ml (p < 0.05). In the 3 µg/ml sufentanilgroup, four patients (20%) had a sedation score ≥ 3 compared with one (5%) and no (0%) patients in the 2 µg/ml and1 µg/ml sufentanil groups, respectively (p < 0.05). In addition, 30% patients experienced pruritus in the 3 µg/ml sufentanilgroup compared with 10% and 5%, respectively, in the 2 µg/ml and 1 µg/ml sufentanil groups. In the sufentanil 3 µg/ml,2 µg/ml and 1 µg/ml groups, 30%, 20% and 5% patients, respectively, had emetics symptoms (p < 0.05).Conclusions:We conclude that a thoracic epidural bolus of 10 ml sufentanil 2 µg/ml with bupivacaine 0.125% provides theoptimal balance between pain relief and side-effects following thoracotomy