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The use of subcutaneous tunnelling to prevent movement of epidural catheters was examined in a prospective controlled trial. There were 113 patients in the standard group and 100 in the tunnelled group. The groups were similar with respect to age, sex and weight. There were 176 thoracic catheters, and 37 lumbar catheters. Mean duration of catheterization in the tunnelled group was 3.5±1.3 days and in the standard group, 3.1±1.5 days. In total, 60 catheters moved significantly from their initial position: 17 (28%) moved inwards and 43 (72%) moved outwards. 159 catheters were still functioning at the time of their removal, 76 standard and 83 tunnelled. This represents 67 and 83% of the two groups respectively.Subcutaneous tunnelling was shown to prevent clinically significant inwards (P=0.043) and outwards (P=0.0005) movement of epidural catheters and is more likely to result in a functional epidural blockade at the time of catheter removal (P=0.0084).

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Following a standardized general anaesthetic for total abdominal hysterectomy, patients received either patient controlled analgesia (PCA) with morphine 1 mg/ml (group M, n=33) or morphine 1 mg/ml plus ketamine 2 mg/ml (group K, n=37) for 48 hours in a randomized, double-blind fashion. In 43 women the area of allodynia around the scar was mapped as a measure of the degree of central sensitization. A significant reduction in the area of allodynia was found in those receiving ketamine with morphine (42 cm 2 [interquartile range (IQR) 57] compared with 57 cm 2 [IQR 82] z=-2.0, P=0.04) in those receiving morphine alone. There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to age, or weight, or between the subgroups within which the area of allodynia was measured with respect to length of incision. No significant differences were found between the groups with respect to pain scores, total or hourly drug consumption, patient satisfaction, nausea scores or antiemetic use. Patients in group K were more likely to require PCA for a shorter period than those in group M (median 40 hours, IQR 26 versus 48 hours IQR 7). Ten patients in group K were withdrawn because of side-effects (dysphoria n=4, nausea n=2, pruritus n=4) compared with one in group M (nausea n=1)(P=0.006). The potential usefulness of ketamine after hysterectomy was offset by a high incidence of adverse effects and a lack of opioid-sparing effects, such that combined intravenous ketamine and morphine PCA as used in this study cannot be recommended for routine care.