Different concentration of sufentanil combined with 0.125% ropivacaine for postoperative patient-controlled epidural analgesia after general thoracic surgery

Objective To compare the analgesia and side-effects of different concentrations of sufentanil combined with 0.125% ropivacaine for postoperative epidural analgesia after general thoracic surgery.Methods Thirty-six ASA Ⅰ-Ⅲ patients (25 males, 11 females) ages 21-64 yrs weighing 42-79 kg undergoing elective general thoracic surgery under general anesthesia were randomly assigned to receive patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with 0.125% ropivacaine combined with sufentanil 0.4 (group A, n = 12) , 0.5 (group B, n = 12) or 0.6 μg·ml-1 (group C, n = 12) . Epidural catheter was placed at T7,8 or T8,9 interspace. The PCEA pump was set up with back ground infusion of 2 ml·h-1 , a3ml bolus dose and a 30-min lock-out period. VAS scores was used to assess analgesia at rest and during movement. The total bolus doses, PCEA button pressing times (effective/actual), vital signs including MAP, HR, respiratory rate, SpO2 and side effects (nausea, vomiting, pruritus and dyspnea) were recorded. Results During the 48 hours after operation the VAS scores in group C were significantly lower than those in group A and B ( P 0.05 or 0.01). The total amount of PCEA solution consumed and the actual PCEA button pressing times were significantly less in group C than in group A and B ( P 0.05) . The vital signs were stable and the incidence of side-effects was low.Conclusion The combination of 0.125% ropivacaine with sufentanil 0.6μg·ml-1 provides optimal analgesia without increase in the consumption of sufentanil and side-effects.