Abstract
Problems and side effects during patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) with 0.2% ropivacaine and fentanyl in patients who underwent surgery of the thorax (thoracic group, n=132) and abdomen (abdominal group, n=295) were retrospectively analyzed. More epidural catheters were spontaneously withdrawn in the thoracic group than in the abdominal group(18% vs. 5%; P=0.001). Whereas, dysuria occurred more frequently in the abdominal group than in the thoracic group (25% vs 8%; P=0.03). Nausea (n=7) and somnolence (n=4) were the most frequent causes to change the programs of PCEA in the thoracic group; dysuria (n=13) and hypotension (n=8) were the main causes to re-adjust PCEA in the abdominal group. We conclude that it is important to prevent spontaneous withdrawal of epidural catheters in patients who undergo thoracic surgery and to manage dysuria and hypotension in patients who undergo abdominal surgery, during PCEA.
