Buprenorphine and morphine efficacy in postoperative pain: a double-blind multiple-dose study.

The analgesic activity of buprenorphine was monitored versus that of morphine in a double-blind, randomized, multiple-dose, parallel-design study involving 97 postsurgical patients. Patients could receive intramuscular injections of either buprenorphine (0.3, o.45, or 0.6 mg) or morphine (10, 15, or 20 mg) every 3 or more hours. Pain intensity, degree of sedation, vital signs, pain relief, and side effects were assessed prior to and at regular intervals after each drug injection. No statistically significant differences were found between the two drugs in total pain relief, sum of pain intensity difference by patient and over time, time to peak pain intensity difference, duration of pain, and side effects. It has been suggested that the addictive potential of buprenorphine may be less than that of morphine. Since both drugs seem to be effective analgesics, buprenorphine appears to offer an effective and safe alternative to morphine for patients with acute pain.