Constipation after total hip replacement may be lower with oral opioid analgesia than with intravenous opioid analgesia

摘要

Editor-We previously reported that oral opioid analgesia using oral oxycodone (OOXY) was non-inferior to i.v. patientcontrolled analgesia (PCA) using morphine after elective total hip replacement (THR) performed under spinal anaesthesia. However, there are concerns that strong opioid therapy, coupled with immobility and change in diet, may lead to constipation after operation. The incidence of opioid-induced constipation is difficult to quantify, not least because it is difficult to define.