Anesthesiology
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Effect of epinephrine on intrathecal fentanyl analgesia in patients undergoing postpartum tubal ligation.
Eighty women receiving spinal anesthesia for postpartum tubal ligation were entered into a double-blind, randomized protocol studying the effects of epinephrine on intrathecal fentanyl-induced postoperative analgesia. All patients received 70 mg hyperbaric lidocaine with either 0.2 mg epinephrine (LE), 10 micrograms fentanyl (LF), epinephrine and fentanyl (LFE), or 0.4 ml saline (L). ⋯ The simultaneous administration of epinephrine and fentanyl prolonged the duration of complete analgesia (137 +/- 47 min (LFE); 76 +/- 32 min (LE); 85 +/- 44 min (LF); 65 +/- 36 min (L)) and the duration of effective analgesia (562 +/- 504 min (LFE); 227 +/- 201 min (LE); 203 +/- 178 min (LF); 198 +/- 342 min (L)). Administration of epinephrine decreased the incidence of pruritus associated with intrathecal fentanyl (1/18 (LFE); 1/21 (LE); 8/19 (LF); 2/19 (L)).