AANA journal
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Comparative Study
Side effects of morphine patient-controlled analgesia and meperidine patient-controlled analgesia: a follow-up of 500 patients.
Many physicians, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), and registered nurses have the clinical impression that either morphine sulfate or meperidine hydrochloride is a better drug to control postoperative pain. In this study, we evaluated pain relief and side effects for these two drugs to assess their potential differences. CRNAs conducted a structured interview of 500 female patients 24 hours after major gynecologic, urologic, or breast surgery. ⋯ Patients vomited more often after vaginal hysterectomy than patients having laparotomy, major oncology, or tuboplasty surgeries (P less than .05), and vaginal repair patients reported more vomiting than patients having major oncology or tuboplasty surgeries. Clinical impressions that either morphine or meperidine should be the preferred treatment for patients following gynecologic operations was not found by a 24-hour review of 500 patients for pain relief and side effects. Although mild itchiness occurred more frequently in the morphine PCA group, treatment was rarely necessary.