Acupuncture for reducing pruritus induced by intrathecal morphine at elective cesarean delivery: a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded trial

The gold standard analgesic regimen for cesarean delivery is intrathecal morphine,1 which dramatically reduces post-cesarean pain but can cause dose-related adverse effects including pruritus, nausea, and vomiting. Although pruritus is usually considered a minor adverse effect, pruritus induced by intrathecal morphine is sometimes unpleasant and difficult to treat, as there are few effective treatment and prevention strategies.2 Some mothers experience persistent pruritus during the initial childrearing period after cesarean delivery, and clinically we often find women who are unwilling to receive intrathecal morphine at a subsequent cesarean delivery.

Source: International Journal of Obstetric Anesthesia - July 27, 2018 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Y. Mazda, T. Kikuchi, A. Yoshimatsu, A. Kato, S. Nagashima, K. Terui Tags: Original Article Source Type: research