Intercostal nerve block for postoperative analgesia in thoracic surgery

To evaluate the analgesic effects of different techniques in the postoperative period, a study was carried out on 129 patients undergoing thoracic surgery. They were randomly divided into 4 groups: patients treated with parenteral administration of mild analgesics (41 cases); patients treated with parenteral administration of morphine hydrochloride (9 cases); patients treated with parenteral administration of pentazocine (30 cases); patients treated with intercostal nerve block by bupivacaine (49 cases). The analgesic effects and pulmonary complications observed in these different groups have been statistically compared. The acid-base variations were also analyzed. This study has confirmed the advantages offered by intercostal nerve block is considered a valid method for postoperative analgesia in thoracic surgery.