Morphine pharmacokinetics in children following acute burns and after recovery from burns

Burn Injury Pain: The Continuing Challenge

“…66,83,115,187 However, research suggests that elimination kinetics of morphine 68,153,156 and lorazepam 112 are not impaired after burn injury and that systemic clearance may actually be enhanced in larger burns (eg, up to 80% body surface area), beyond which clearance decreases toward control levels. 135 Kealey and colleagues 100 investigated the pharmacokinetics of morphine in patients with a mean body surface area burn of 21.5% in an attempt to ascertain a rational dosage schedule for patients with burns. Treatments included a morphine constant rate infusion followed by immediate release oral morphine solution and sustained release MS Contin (Purdue Frederick).…”

“…Choinière 29 solved this problem by introducing a visual analog scale designed to elicit a verbal self-report. Similar to the instrument introduced by Osgood et al, 135 the visual analog thermometer is based on a thermometer-like design. 191 However, it is a hand-held, washable instrument with a sliding red panel.…”