[Comparison between the analgesic effects of buprenorphine and morphine in conscious man (author's transl)]

Abstract

Morphine chlorhydrate and buprenorphine chlorhydrate are given intramuscularly at increasing doses to patients suffering from intense pain in the facial or trigeminal nerves territory. No other drugs are used. The diverses groups of ten patients received respectively: --morphine: 0.100, 0.150, 0.200 mg/kg; --buprenorphine: 0.0015, 0.003, 0.006 mg/kg. On the whole, the analgesia is induced after a short time and is more durable, more intense as the dose is increased. Yet, concerning buprenorphine, the analgesia is not more intense with the 0.006 mg/kg dose, than with the 0.003 mg/kg dose. This phenomenon, if confirmed, would be an important limitation for the clinical use of this drug. For equianalgesic doses buprenorphine and morphine give an analgesia similar in time of initiation and in duration.