British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2001, Vol. 87, No. 5 681-683
© 2001 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia
Editorial |
Editorial III
Pain relief after thoracotomy
In Genesis, it states that the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam so that his rib could be removed to create the female of the species.1 It would, in the current healthcare climate, be interesting to look at outcome studies in both species! It would also seem that it was prophesied that thoracic surgery would be very painful and would require appropriate and effective treatment.
Most anaesthetists would agree that there is considerable pain after thoracotomy and that excellent analgesia is required. However, the ideal method has yet to be developed. What, therefore, are the advantages and disadvantages of current regimens and what does the future hold?
Worldwide, morphine is probably the most commonly used drug despite its well-known disadvantages. However, to be effective, it is recommended that regular doses are given at regular intervals.2 The former is probably attainable while the latter is probably not. In
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