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Transdermal fentanyl for the treatment of pain after major urological operations

A randomized double-blind comparison with placebo using intravenous patient-controlled analgesia

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Summary

Transdermal fentanyl 75 μg/h (Fentanyl-TTS) was compared with placebo in a randomized double-blind study in the early postoperative period, using 50 patients recovering from major urological operations. Analgesic efficacy was individually titrated with intravenous fentanyl by means of a PCA pump (demand dose 34 μg, lockout time 5 min). The test systems were applied 8 h before anaesthesia and were left in situ for 24 h.

During the PCA period (18.2 h) patients with Fentanyl-TTS required significantly less additional fentanyl (0.48 vs 0.93 μg · kg−1 · h−1) and reported less pain than patients in the placebo-group.

Patient acceptance was high in both groups. Side-effects were of only minor intensity and did not differ between the two groups. In particular, there was no case of clinically relevant respiratory depression.

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Lehmann, K.A., Einnolf, C., Eberlein, HJ. et al. Transdermal fentanyl for the treatment of pain after major urological operations. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 41, 17–21 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280100

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00280100

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