Intrathecal Hydromorphone for Post-cesarean Delivery Pain - a Dose Finding Study
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2016-08-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Pain relief after cesarean delivery can be provided in a few ways. Most commonly, certain
medications called opioids, such as morphine, are given through the vein or into the muscle.
However, a more effective way to give pain relief with fewer side effects (such as nausea and
slowing your breathing) is to give opioids in the spinal space as part of the medications
given for a cesarean delivery.
For many years, the opioid of choice was morphine due to its long anesthetic effect and
acceptable side effect profile. A nation-wide disruption in the supply of preservative-free
morphine has made it necessary to look for alternatives. Many institutions worldwide have
used another opioid, called hydromorphone, in the spinal space for over a decade. This drug
has a very good safety and side effect profile and has been used at the investigators'
institution for more than a year. Of interest, while a number of different doses of
hydromorphone have been used, there have been very few studies to evaluate the best dose for
providing good pain relief with minimal side effects. The goal of this study is to find the
best dose of spinal hydromorphone for women undergoing cesarean delivery.