Comparison of Surgical Rectus Sheath Block and Intrathecal Morphine

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2016-06-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: Female

Summary

Pain is the main obstacle in delaying postoperative recovery and leads to prolonged hospital stay. Administration of intrathecal morphine during spinal anaesthesia can provide effective pain control. However, it is associated with significant side effects including nausea, vomiting and itchiness. Also, it is not suitable in all patients, for example, those with morphine allergy, or severe respiratory disease. Surgical rectus sheath block involves injection of local anaesthetic agents into the rectus sheath space before closure of the wound. It has been shown to provide adequate pain control with less systemic side effects. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical rectus sheath block and intrathecal morphine in post-Caesarean section pain control.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong
• Treatments: Bupivacaine; Morphine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Planned for elective lower segment Caesarean section, using suprapubic transverse incision

• Willing and able to participate after the study has been explained

• Those understand either Cantonese, Putonghua or English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient with treatment for chronic pain

• History of narcotic abuse/ recreational drug use

• Allergy to opioids/ local anesthesia/ paracetamol/ tramadol/ non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

• Patient with pre-eclampsia