ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block is an alternative to spinal morphine for analgesia after Caesarean section but there are few data on its comparative efficacy. We compared the analgesic efficacy of the TAP block with and without spinal morphine after Caesarean section in a prospective, randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled trial. METHODS: Eighty patients were randomized to one of four groups to receive (in addition to spinal anaesthesia) either spinal morphine 100 µg (S(M)) or saline (S(S)) and a postoperative bilateral TAP block with either bupivacaine (T(LA)) 2 mg kg(-1) or saline (T(S)). RESULTS: Pain on movement and early morphine consumption were lowest in groups receiving spinal morphine and was not improved by TAP block. The rank order of median pain scores on movement at 6 h was: S(M)T(LA) (20 mm)
Subject(s)
Analgesia, Obstetrical/methods
, Analgesics, Opioid/administration & dosage
, Cesarean Section
, Morphine/administration & dosage
, Nerve Block/methods
, Pain, Postoperative/prevention & control
, Abdominal Muscles
, Adult
, Analgesia, Obstetrical/adverse effects
, Analgesics, Opioid/adverse effects
, Anesthesia, Obstetrical/methods
, Anesthesia, Spinal
, Antiemetics/administration & dosage
, Double-Blind Method
, Drug Administration Schedule
, Female
, Humans
, Morphine/adverse effects
, Nerve Block/adverse effects
, Pain Measurement/methods
, Patient Satisfaction
, Pregnancy
, Prospective Studies
, Pruritus/chemically induced