Conversion to oral controlled-release oxycodone from intravenous opioid analgesic in the postoperative setting.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed conversion factors utilized by physicians to transfer postoperative patients from intravenous opioids to oral controlled-release (CR) oxycodone and the subsequent analgesic effectiveness. DESIGN: This was a multicenter, open-label, usual-use study of 189 hospitalized postoperative patients receiving opioid (usually morphine) intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) for at least 12 to 24 hours post-procedure. Patients who were tolerant of oral medications and without signs of paralytic ileus were converted to oral CR oxycodone, given every 12 hours for up to 7 days. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SE) conversion factor used to convert IV PCA morphine to CR oxycodone was 1.2 +/- 0.1 (N=159). The initial CR oxycodone doses, based on individual conversion factors from IV PCA morphine, produced significant reductions in pain intensity (scores

Duke Scholars

Author Brian Ginsberg Anesthesiology, Regional