Efficacy and safety of continuous morphine infusion for postoperative analgesia in the paediatric surgical ward.

This study determines the efficacy and safety of continuous infusion of morphine following major surgery in non-ventilated children being nursed in general paediatric surgical wards. Pain and analgesia were assessed by a linear analogue scale. Assessment of pain by nursing staff was similar to that made by the patient and parent. Continuous infusions were easy to institute, well accepted by staff and patients alike and resulted in few side effects. The safety and efficacy of morphine infusions allow for wider adoption as a routine method of analgesia for children following major surgery.