nalbuphine and Chest-Pain

This study aimed to determine which of two paramedic administered nalbuphine dosing regimens combined the greater analgesic effect with the minimum of adverse events.. Patients suffering from chest pain or trauma were randomised to receive either a rapid dosing regimen (10 mg over 30 seconds, repeated once after three minutes if pain score remained above three) or a cautious regimen (5 mg over two minutes, repeated at three minute intervals if pain score remained above three to a maximum dose of 20 mg). Data were collected on analgesic effectiveness, changes in vital signs, and patient reported side effects.. The pain score fell by a mean of 4.29 and 3.49 in the rapid and cautious regimen groups respectively (difference = 0.79, 95% CI 0.09 to 1.5, p = 0.028). However, over half the patients in both groups continued to suffer significant pain on arrival at hospital. There were no significant changes in vital signs after nalbuphine, but there was a greater incidence of patient reported drowsiness in rapid regimen patients (42% compared with 21%, 95% CI = 6.96 to 34.12%, p = 0.003).. A rapid dosing regimen of nalbuphine using 10 mg increments is more effective than and equally as safe as a cautious regimen using 5 mg increments. Further research is required to determine if a maximum dose exceeding 20 mg would result in fewer patients continuing to suffer significant pain before arrival at hospital.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Analgesia; Analgesics, Opioid; Chest Pain; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Administration Schedule; Emergency Medical Services; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Nalbuphine; Pain Measurement; Wounds and Injuries

Acute chest syndrome (ACS) represents a serious morbidity and often fatal complication in patients with sickle cell disease. Painful episodes which require hospitalization are most often treated with opioids, which may then influence the development of ACS. Nalbuphine is a parenteral opioid which effectively treats pain and may cause less ACS.. This retrospective chart review documented 988 admissions for painful episodes at 2 institutions and recorded the incidence of ACS and opioid used.. At the Children's Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, the incidence of ACS in patients treated with morphine alone was 10.8% versus at the Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri, the incidence was 2.1% for patients treated solely with nalbuphine.. When nalbuphine is used alone as the single parenteral opioid agent to treat painful episodes in patients with sickle cell disease, the incidence of ACS is less than when compared with other opioids used to treat pain.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Anemia, Sickle Cell; Chest Pain; Child; Child, Preschool; Choice Behavior; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Morbidity; Morphine; Nalbuphine; Narcotics; Parents; Retrospective Studies; Young Adult

Twenty patients with moderate or severe pain of suspected myocardial infarction received nalbuphine 50 mg intravenously as analgesia in 2 divided doses of 30 mg and 20 mg with 10 mg metoclopramide and were observed for 2 hours. Eighteen patients received nalbuphine outside hospital. The median time from onset of pain to treatment was 73 minutes. Within 30 minutes of the drug's administration 90% of all patients reported satisfactory pain relief (grade 0 or 1). For those with definite myocardial infarction 83% reported satisfactory pain relief at 30 minutes. There were no significant adverse cardiorespiratory effects observed or serious side-effects reported. Nalbuphine is effective and safe when used in this higher dose, although no additional analgesic effect was demonstrated when compared with lower established doses used early in acute myocardial infarction.

Topics: Chest Pain; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Morphinans; Myocardial Infarction; Nalbuphine