Effect of Low-Dose Naloxone on Pain Severity and Side Effects of Opioids on Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

Previous studies have assessed effect of naloxone on pain severity and side effects of opioids however, their results are inconsistent. Our study was design to determine effect of low-dose naloxone on pain, nausea, vomiting, pruritus and urine retention on patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
In this study 60 patients who need laparoscopic cholecystectomy participated and divided into two groups: naloxone (0.25 mg/kg/h naloxone plus 20 mg/kg/h morphine) and placebo (20 mg/kg/h morphine). Patients were evaluated 2, 4, 8 and 16 h after surgery and severity of pain and side effects including nausea, vomiting, pruritus and urine retention were recorded by a nurse.
Prevalence of nausea, vomiting, pruritus and urine retention in naloxone group was significantly lower than placebo 2, 4, 8 and 16 h after surgery. There was no significant difference on pain severity between two groups.
Our results indicated that naloxone administration significantly decreased side effects of opioid including nausea, vomiting, pruritus and urine retention with no effect on pain severity.