Connecticut medicine
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Connecticut medicine · Aug 1998
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialPain control following elective gastrointestinal surgery: is epidural anesthesia warranted?
Fifty-nine patients undergoing elective major gastrointestinal surgery were entered into a prospective, randomized trial between January 1993 and July 1994 comparing the effectiveness, side effects, and hospital costs of postoperative epidural anesthesia (Group 1, n = 29) and intramuscular narcotic injections (Group 2, n = 30). Epidural catheters were inserted by a team that supervised catheter care and infusion rates in the postoperative period. The nonepidural group received intramuscular injections on a regular basis. ⋯ We conclude that epidural anesthesia significantly lessens incisional pain following major elective lower gastrointestinal surgery when compared to analgesic injections alone. However, while not statistically significant, the overall charge was increased by 14% in the epidural group. This finding should be examined in light of the relatively low pain level in patients receiving narcotic injections alone.