Background: We performed a retrospective study of the efficacy and safety of spinal anesthesia with 0.1 mg morphine in the postoperative course of elderly patients with femoral neck fracture.
Methods: Sixty patients with ages averaging 84 years participated in this study. Surgery was performed under spinal anesthesia. Patients were assigned to either a group receiving of 0.1 mg morphine added to isobaric bupivacaine (Group M) or a group receiving of isobaric bupivacaine alone (Group B). The frequency of analgesic use and the occurrence of adverse side effects during the first 48 hours after surgery were compared between the two groups.
Results: In the first 24 hours, the patients in Group M needed significantly less analgesics compared to Group B. The incidence of adverse side effects did not differ significantly between the groups, although nausea had a tendency to increase in Group M. One patient in Group M showed a mild decrease in oxygen saturation.
Conclusions: The spinal administration of 0.1 mg morphine had beneficial effects and was safe in the postoperative period of elderly patients with femoral neck fracture provided that sufficient observation was given.