The analgesic efficacy and safety of nefopam in patient-controlled analgesia after cardiac surgery: A randomized, double-blind, prospective study

Objective The efficacy and side-effects of nefopam were prospectively compared with those of fentanyl for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following cardiac surgery. Methods Patients scheduled to undergo cardiac surgery were randomly assigned between three PCA groups (nefopam, fentanyl or nefopam + fentanyl). Pain was assessed at rest and during movement at 12, 24, 36, 48 and 72 h after surgery using a visual analogue scale (VAS). Total infused PCA volume, number of rescue drug injections, duration of intubation and length of stay in the intensive care unit were recorded. The incidence of adverse effects was noted at 48 h postoperatively. Results There were no significant between-group differences in VAS score, total PCA infusion volume or number of rescue injections (n = 92 per group). Nausea was significantly more common in the fentanyl group compared with both other groups. Conclusions PCA with nefopam alone provides suitable postoperative analgesia after cardiac surgery.