A COMPARISON OF BUPRENORPHINE AND PETHIDINE FOR IMMEDIATE POSTOPERATIVE PAIN RELIEF BY THE I.V. ROUTE

Abstract

A comparison was made of the relief of pain after operation, obtained following the i.v. administration of buprenorphine and pethidine in 60 patients with lower abdominal incisions. No difference could be detected between the maximum analgesia produced by either drug, but analgesia following buprenorphine appeared to last about four times as long as that following pethidine. When the drugs were compared on a “dose per body weight” basis the results supported a ratio of potency in the order of 1: 200 in favour of buprenorphine. Vomiting, drowsiness and dizziness were less frequent following buprenorphine, but a similar frequency of nausea was observed with both agents. Marked miosis occurred 5–10 min after the i.v. injection of buprenorphine, but no serious side-effects were observed with either drug. The i.v. administration of buprenorphine appeared to be effective in the management of pain after operation in patients with lower abdominal incisions.