• M G Rockemann, W Seeling, A W Goertz, I Konietzko, P Steffen, and M Georgieff.
• Universitätsklinik für Anästhesiologie, Ulm.
• Anasthesiol Intensivmed Notfallmed Schmerzther. 1997 Jul 1;32(7):414-9.

PurposeImprovement of the quality of analgesia, reduction of side effects and costs by application of epidural (PCEA) in comparison to intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in postoperative pain treatment.Methods62 patients with upper abdominal surgery took part in this randomised prospective study which was approved by the local ethics committee. Epidural catheters were inserted at T 8/9 (group PCEA). General anaesthesia was performed with propofol, sufentanil 2 micrograms/kg, pancuronium, enflurane and O2:N2O = 1:2. Postoperative analgesia consisted of epidural bupivacaine 0.25% + sufentanil 2 micrograms/ml (BS). (bolus 0.05 ml/kg, lockout 10 min) in group PCEA, or of intravenous morphine (bolus 2 mg. lockout 10 min) in group PCA. The following parameters were recorded until the evening of postoperative day 4: pain intensity at rest (VASR, 1-10) and on coughing (VASH, 1-10), blood pressure, heart rate, blood gas analysis, ability to ambulate, pruritus, nausea/vomiting (PONV), patient satisfaction (0-4), time and expenses for postoperative pain treatment.ResultsMedian VASR (1 vs 2) and VASH (3 vs 4.5) were lower, cough intensity (2 vs 1) and patient satisfaction score (4 vs 3) were higher in PCEA compared to PCA. Ability to ambulate, pruritus, PONV, haemodynamics, paO2 and paCO2 were comparable. Postoperative pain treatment with PCEA was more time-consuming (407 vs 299 min) and expensive (71 vs 40 S/day) than PCA.ConclusionPCEA in comparison to PCA after major abdominal surgery provides superior analgesia with comparable side effects at approximately 80% higher costs.

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