PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Arthur S. Keats AU - Jane Telford AU - Yoshio Kurosu TI - STUDIES OF ANALGESIC DRUGS: III. DEXTROMORAMIDE AND A COMPARISON OF METHODS OF ESTIMATING PAIN RELIEF IN MAN DP - 1960 Oct 01 TA - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics PG - 212--217 VI - 130 IP - 2 4099 - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/130/2/212.short 4100 - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/130/2/212.full SO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther1960 Oct 01; 130 AB - The analgesic, respiratory and subjective effects of dextromoramide (dl-(3-methyl-4-morpholino-2,2-diphenylbutyryl) pyrrolidine) have been studied in hospitalized patients and normal subjects and compared to morphine. As an analgesic, dextromoramide is approximately twice as potent as morphine on a milligram basis as measured by peak effect and 1.3 times as potent as measured by total analgesic effect over a 6-hour period. At 5 mg/70 kg of dextromoramide, the degree of respiratory depression and the frequency of subjective effects, such as sedation and nausea, are the same as that of morphine. The duration of action of dextromoramide, even at 10 mg per 70 kg is less than that of morphine. Three patients suffered severe respiratory depression following 5 mg per 70 kg of dextromoramide given in the immediate postoperative period. Dextromoramide offers no advantages over morphine in the treatment of postoperative pain. A comparison of methods of measuring analgesoa in clinical studies has been made. The importance of distinguishing between intensity of analgesia and duration of analgesic effect in such studies has been discussed.