DepoDur found to be innovative option for postoperative p...( t of this pain is still often inadequat...),Health

t of this pain is still often inadequate. Studies show that patients who use pain medication early and aggressively after surgery have shorter hospital stays, suffer fewer chronic pain problems, and end up using fewer painkillers overall than those who avoid pain medication. The current methods for treating moderate-to-severe postoperative pain include intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA), epidural morphine sulfate infusions, and intramuscular opioid injections.

A recent meta-analysis reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association, encompassing three decades of research, showed that epidural analgesia provides significantly better postoperative pain control compared to IV PCA. Until recently, all available forms of epidural analgesia required continuous delivery via an indwelling catheter if extended pain relief was required. Such catheters can interfere with patient mobility, be a potential source of infections, and limit options for administration of anticoagulant therapy. Prior to the advent of DepoDur^TM, the most common alternative to epidural analgesia was intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA), which is prone to possible equipment malfunction or patient error, leading to under- or over-delivery of medication and resulting in variable pain control.

Data Presented at ASA Meeting

In one randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, dose-ranging study, single epidural doses of DepoDur^TM 5*, 10, 15, 20, or 25* mg or 5 mg standardized conventional morphine sulfate (MS; Astramorph/PF or Duramorph) were administered to 487 adult patients 18 years of age or over approximately 30 minutes before lower abdominal surgery and before the induction of general or regional anesthesia. The study found that a single dose provided significant dose-related improvements in pain control for up to 48 hours while significantly reducing postoperative IV fentanyl use. Higher doses significantly reduc
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Contact: Wendy Lu
wendy_lu@nyc.cohnwolfe.com
212-798-9839
Cohn & Wolfe
26-Oct-2004

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