Comparison of Post-operative Analgetics with Transversus Abdominis Block and Spinal Morphine for Post-Caesarean Section: A Randomised Trial Study

Abstract

Acute pain after surgery is an important clinical drawback occurs in patients undergoing cesarean sections. Postoperative pain causes various complications, including the risk of chronic pain. The Enhanced Recovery After Caesarean Section (ERACS) protocol recommends intrathecal morphine and the Transversus Abdominis Plane (TAP) block. This study aims to compare the opioid requirement as an analgesic rescue between both techniques in patients undergoing cesarean sections. This is an experimental study with a single-blind randomized controlled trial design. Subjects were divided into two groups, each consists of 22 patients. Patients were selected consecutively and grouped by permuted block randomization. In the intratechal morphine group, the duration of additional opioids was longer, with an average of 600.45 minutes (SD = 68.901), than in the TAP block group, with an average of 438.18 minutes (SD = 46.867), with a p-value of 0.001. The total dose of additional opioids in the intratechal morphine group was smaller, with an average of 38.64 µg (SD = 14.775), than in the TAP block group, with an average of 50.00 µg (SD = 18.898), with a p-value of 0.043. In conclusion, intratechal morphine gives a better postoperative analgesic effect than TAP block in patients undergoing cesarean sections

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Keywords

analgesia, cesarean section, intratechal morphine

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