Abstract
Intravenous morphine infusions were given to 20 patients in the intensive-care unit to provide sedation and analgesia. In 10 of the patients renal impairment was already present or developed during intensive care. Plasma morphine concentrations for a given dose of morphine and morphine clearance depended on renal function; dose-related plasma morphine concentrations rose as renal function deteriorated. Reduced morphine clearance leads to increased elimination half-life of the drug, and neurological impairment caused by unrecognised high concentrations of morphine could result in an incorrect diagnosis of cerebral damage in patients in intensive care.
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