Mejía-Terrazas GE, Plancarte-Sánchez R, Reyes-Chiquete D, Guajardo-Rosas J

Language: Spanish
References: 27
Page: 186-190
PDF size: 47.89 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Objective: Epidural analgesia is an efficient technique that can offer some advantages for pain control in patients suffering from terminal cancer. In this article, we inform about our experience in ambulatory terminal cancer patients who received epidural analgesia for pain control. Material and methods: This was a retrospective study. We reviewed the medical records of patients suffering from cancer that received epidural analgesia for pain control as ambulatory patients within a two-year period. The patients had a follow-up period of between one and six months. The site and intensity of pain, the administered drugs and their doses, the analgesic response, the adverse reactions, and the complications were accurately recorded. Results: Sixteen epidural catheters were placed with a mean length of 10.5 days (the range was of 3-150 days; the mode was of 6 days), pain control was good in every patient. It was given 0.125% single bupivacaine (n = 2) or in combination with morphine (n = 10), other drugs were ketamine (n = 2), clonidine (n = 1) or midazolam (benzodiazepine derivative) (n = 1). The complications were: infection in the insertion site (n = 2), tunneling pain (n = 2), broken catheter (n = 2), respiratory depression (n = 1), and bacterial meningitis (n = 1). Every patient was treated in a successful way and none of them required hospitalization or intensive cares. Conclusion: Epidural analgesia seems an efficient technique for pain control in terminal oncologic patients being at home. Nevertheless, some patients may present severe complications that might require hospitalization for their treatment.

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