Intrathecal Analgesia Research Articles

Comparison of Quality of Labor Analgesia by NPRS Score Upon Single Dose Intrathecal Labor Analgesia Between Bupivacaine With Adjuvants

Comparison of Quality of Labor Analgesia by NPRS Score Upon Single Dose Intrathecal Labor Analgesia Between Bupivacaine With Adjuvants

Continuous thoracic spinal anesthesia with local anesthetic plus midazolam and ketamine is superior to local anesthetic plus fentanyl in major abdominal surgery

BackgroundLimited studies have applied thoracic continuous spinal anesthesia in abdominal surgery, relying exclusively on opioids. This retrospective study analyzes 2 different schemes of thoracic continuous spinal anesthesia and postoperative analgesia in elderly patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. MethodsA total of 98 patients aged ≥75 years were divided into 2 groups. The control group (60 patients) received bupivacaine plus fentanyl, whereas the study group (38 patients) received bupivacaine plus ketamine and midazolam. Both received analogous postoperative continuous intrathecal analgesia. Several perioperative variables were evaluated. ResultsSpinal anesthesia was performed without complications in all patients. Doses of noradrenaline administered, incidence of respiratory depression, need for intraoperative sedation, and time to first flatus were significantly reduced in the bupivacaine plus ketamine and midazolam group. ConclusionIn a population of frail, elderly patients, thoracic continuous spinal anesthesia with local anesthetic plus midazolam and ketamine was superior to local anesthetic plus fentanyl. In the group receiving local anesthetic plus midazolam and ketamine, the incidence of respiratory depression was reduced, and doses of norepinephrine and intraoperative sedating medications were lower. Intraoperative anesthesia and postoperative analgesia were similar in both groups.

Single-dose intrathecal analgesia: a safe and effective method of labor analgesia for parturients in low resource areas

BackgroundEpidural analgesia is often said the gold standard of the labor analgesia. But in the areas where the availability of epidural catheters, multiparameter monitors, trained staff is scarce, we need to rethink for single-dose intrathecal analgesia as an alternate yet effective method to provide labor analgesia. The combination we chose for single-shot spinal was heavy bupivacaine 2.5 mg + fentanyl 25 μg + morphine 250 μg, so as to provide an optimal time period of analgesia and lesser need for supplemental analgesics.MethodsThe prospective open-label study was conducted on 100 parturients. Group S (N = 50) received intrathecal injection of 0.5 ml of heavy bupivacaine (2.5 mg) and 0.5 ml of fentanyl (25 μg), and 1 ml of preservative free morphine (250 μg/ml) was given (total volume of 2 ml) using 26 G Quincke spinal needle. Group C (N = 50) were managed according to the institutional protocol of programmed labor for normal vaginal delivery. The duration of analgesia, VAS score, safety and side effects, and progress of labor was noted and compared.ResultsThe progress of labor, mode of delivery, and fetal parameters was similar in both the groups. But the parturients in the group S had lower VAS score with a pain-free period of 238.96 ± 21.88 min, without any noted side effects.ConclusionSingle-dose intrathecal analgesia with heavy bupivacaine 2.5 mg + fentanyl 25 μg + morphine 250 μg can be used efficaciously covering the complete duration of labor in both primigravida and multigravida with no increase in instrumental delivery or C-section rate or other side effects.Trial registrationInstitutional Ethics Committee, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla. Number: ECR/533/IST/HP/2014. Registered on 12 August 2017

A survey of neuraxial analgesic preferences in open and laparoscopic major abdominal surgery amongst anaesthetists in Australia and New Zealand.

Practising anaesthetists who are Fellows of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists were surveyed with the objective of gaining insight into current analgesic preferences, with particular regard to neuraxial techniques, when managing patients having major open and laparoscopic abdominal surgery. Major abdominal surgery is common and effective analgesia is fundamental to optimal postoperative recovery. A multitude of analgesic options exist, with epidurals recommended in recent Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols. We believe the place of epidurals is increasingly questioned in the setting of continuous improvement in surgical technique, with increasing laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery. Evidence for various techniques is mixed and benefit-risk profiles exist for all alternatives. An opioid epidemic and abuse crisis has directed attention towards opioid minimisation strategies. The survey was completed by 28% (275) of the 975 Fellows who received it, with good representation across the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists' general membership. Respondents manage laparoscopic major abdominal surgery more frequently than open procedures, with approximately one-third of respondents each providing anaesthesia for two open laparotomies versus four to eight laparoscopic cases per month. Respondents reported a high perceived benefit of neuraxial analgesia, which was discordant with their clinical practice. Less than half of the respondents used epidural or spinal analgesia in open surgery (48% versus 49% of respondents, respectively). A minority (16%) of respondents use a neuraxial technique in major laparoscopic surgery, with a strong preference for intrathecal morphine (74%) when they choose to do so. Further investigation of the role of intrathecal analgesia is warranted given the shift towards laparoscopic major abdominal surgery, the perceived benefits of neuraxial techniques and the need for opioid-sparing analgesic strategies.

Assessment of Outcome of Intrathecal Analgesia in Multiparous Women Undergoing Vaginal Delivery

Background: The present study was conducted to assess the outcome of intrathecal analgesia in multiparous women undergoing vaginal delivery. Subjects and Methods: The present study was conducted among 80 multiparous women ages ranged 18- 40 years. All patients received 0.5 ml of intrathecal injection of 2.5 mg bupivacaine 0.5% and 1 ml dexamethasone 4 mg plus a 0.5 ml adjuvant. The adjuvants in group I patients were 100 μg morphine, 25 μg fentanyl in group II, 5 μg dexmedetomidine in group III and normal saline in group IV (control group). The primary and secondary outcome was the duration of pain relief, the analgesia onset time, the maximum level of sensory block, the visual analogue scale (VAS) was recorded. Results: The mean duration of analgesia in group I was 182.4 minutes, in group II was 170.5 minutes, in group III was 200.4 minutes and in group, IV was 140.2 minutes. The onset of analgesia was 3.9 minutes, 2.8 minutes, 2.7 minutes and 4.5 minutes in group I, II, III and IV respectively. S1 sensory regression time (minutes) was 181.4, 157.4, 185.3 and 130.6 in group I, II, III and IV respectively. Modified Bromage scale 5 minutes, 15 minutes and 30 minutes after IT in all groups was 0.0. VAS was 1.3, 1.6, 1.6 and 3.1 with significant differences in all groups (P< 0.05). There was non- significant difference in mean age, weight, height and gestational age between all groups (P> 0.05). There was a non- significant difference in APGAR 1, 5, umbilical pH immediately after delivery, neonatal HR after 5minute, 15 minutes and 30 minutes in all groups (P> 0.05). Conclusion: The authors found that dexmedetomidine is a safe and effective adjuvant to intrathecal bupivacaine-dexamethasone in multiparous women undergoing normal vaginal delivery.

Effects of Bupivacaine on Opioid Patient-Controlled Intrathecal Analgesia in Chronic Pain Patients Implanted with Drug Delivery Systems.

Combining neuraxial opioids and local anesthetics in acute pain results in improved duration of analgesia and reduced dosages and adverse effects. Although commonly used in intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDS) for chronic pain, the effectiveness of this admixture has not been examined specifically in relation to patient-controlled intrathecal analgesia (PCIA). IDDS-implanted chronic noncancer pain patients receiving opioids with bupivacaine (O + B) were randomized to receive either opioids without bupivacaine (O) or O + B in a double-blind manner, at IDDS refills, for one week and then crossed over to the other solution for another week. Primary outcome measures included numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores before and within 30 minutes after PCIA boluses. Secondary outcome measures included average NRS scores and functional outcome measures. Seventeen patients were enrolled, and 16 patients completed the study. There were no differences in NRS scores before and after PCIA boluses between the O and O + B conditions, though pain scores improved significantly (average decrease in NRS scores: O 1.81 ± 1.47 vs O + B 1.87 ± 1.40, P = 0.688). No differences were noted in speed of onset or duration of analgesia. Although more patients subjectively preferred the O + B treatment, the difference was not statistically significant. No differences were noted in secondary outcome measures, with the exception of global impression of change having higher scores in O compared with O + B. Acutely removing bupivacaine from a chronic intrathecal infusion of opioids and bupivacaine in patients with chronic noncancer pain did not adversely affect PCIA effectiveness, nor did it affect speed of onset or duration of effect. These findings are divergent from those in acute pain and may have to do with study conditions and pain phenotypes.

Chest wall pain management after chest wall trauma

Blunt chest trauma is defined as a high energy injury to the thorax and its structures, and it is usually a strong indicator of severe injury. Its clinical presentation can vary from rib fractures to pneumothorax, hemothorax, lung and soft tissue contusion; these lesions and consequential pain predispose to respiratory failure by compromising respiratory mechanics and by exacerbating pre-existing lung disease. This picture can lead to a number of complications, such as pneumonia or ARDS, that have a significant impact on patients’ morbidity and mortality. One of the cornerstones of blunt chest trauma management is providing early and effective analgesia: pain control improves respiratory mechanics, reduces possible complications and allows effective and aggressive physiotherapy. In literature, there are few clinical trials comparing different analgesic techniques for pain relief in blunt thoracic trauma; our review aims to detail the clinical implication, adequacy and possible complications of different analgesic approaches commonly used in thoracic trauma management, such as epidural anesthesia, regional anesthesia, endovenous and intrathecal analgesia. This review is also focused on management and prevention of chronic pain. Pain management, lung toilet, aggressive respiratory therapy and early mobilization are key to a successful patient recovery. In selected patients, operative fixation may lead to better outcomes although further research is needed to clearly identify the category of patients and the ideal timing for surgical intervention. Chronic pain develops in up to 50% of the patients after a thoracic trauma. A multimodal approach tackling both its somatic and neuropathic component is essential to chronic pain prevention. Early and effective pain control demonstrated to have a pivotal role on patient recovery. While endovenous analgesia constitutes the method of choice for intensive care unit (ICU) sedated patients, regional unilateral analgesia should be considered in awake and spontaneously breathing patients. The approach of choice should be tailored on the single patient and, if possible, a multimodal strategy should be established.

Intrathecal versus local infiltration analgesia for pain control in total joint arthroplasty

BackgroundThe purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess the efficacy of intrathecal morphine (ITM) analgesia and local infiltration analgesia (LIA) for pain control in total joint arthroplasty (TJA).MethodsEmbase, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). All RCTs were comparing intrathecal analgesia and local infiltration analgesia in TJA. Primary outcomes were the visual analog scale (VAS) score with rest or mobilization up to 72 h. Secondary outcomes were the total morphine consumption, length of hospital stay, and morphine-related complications.ResultsCompared with the intrathecal analgesia group, the LIA group was associated with a reduction in VAS score with rest up to 72 h. Moreover, LIA was associated with a decrease in VAS score with mobilization at 6 h, 12 h, 48 h, and 72 h. Moreover, LIA significantly reduced total morphine consumption (weighted mean difference (WMD) = − 15.37, 95% CI − 22.64 to − 8.83, P = 0.000), length of hospital stay (WMD = − 1.39, 95% CI − 1.67 to − 1.11, P = 0.000), and morphine-related complications (nausea and pruritus).ConclusionsLocal infiltration provided superior analgesia and morphine-sparing effects within the first 72 h compared with ITM following TJA.

Ten techniques for improving navigated spinal surgery.

With the identification of literature shortfalls on the techniques employed in intraoperative navigated (ION) spinal surgery, we outline a number of measures which have been synthesised into a coherent operative technique. These include positioning, dissection, management of the reference frame, the grip, the angle of attack, the drill, the template, the pedicle screw, the wire, and navigated intrathecal analgesia. Optimizing techniques to improve accuracy allow an overall reduction of the repetition of the surgical steps with its associated productivity benefits including time, cost, radiation, and safety. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(3):371-375.

Feasibility study on continuous spinal analgesia in all stages of labor.

Feasibility study on continuous spinal analgesia in all stages of labor.

Outcomes of intrathecal analgesia in multiparous women undergoing normal vaginal delivery: A randomised controlled trial.

Background and Aims:Although intrathecal analgesia is an effective option during labour, there is a need to establish sustainable and assured analgesia during the entire labour process. We aimed to assess the effect of adding dexmedetomidine, fentanyl or morphine to low-dose bupivacaine-dexamethasone for intrathecal labour analgesia in multiparous women.Methods:This was a triple-blind, randomised controlled trial that included 140 multiparous women. Eligible women were randomly allocated to have intrathecal bupivacaine-dexamethasone with dexmedetomidine (group D), fentanyl (group F), morphine (group M) or saline (placebo) (group C). The duration of analgesia, intrathecal block characteristics and maternal and foetal outcomes were assessed and analysed.Results:The longest analgesia duration and S1 regression time was recorded in group D followed by groups M, F and C, respectively, with statistical significance between all of them (P < 0.001). The shortest analgesia onset time and the highest sensory levels were recorded in group D followed by group F then group M with statistical significance between all of them (P < 0.001 and 0.003, respectively). Visual analogue scale values were comparable among groups M, F and D (P > 0.05) at most of the measurement time points and at the peak of the last uterine contraction before delivery while being significantly lower than those in group C (P < 0.001). However, there were similar motor block characteristics and normal neonatal outcomes in all groups.Conclusion:In comparison to morphine and fentanyl, dexmedetomidine addition to intrathecal bupivacaine-dexamethasone significantly prolonged the duration and accelerated the onset of labour analgesia, with a good maternal and neonatal outcome.

Nalbuphine versus neostigmine as an adjuvant to intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine-induced postoperative analgesia

Introduction Pain remains one of the most important patient complaints after hemorrhoid surgery; most anal surgical procedures are done as a day-case procedure, so medication to relieve or stop pain and provide analgesia should be administered preoperatively to provide postoperative analgesia. Aim The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of nalbuphine versus neostigmine as an adjuvant to intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine on duration of motor block and postoperative analgesia. Patients and methods A total of 40 adult patients of both sexes, with American Society of Anesthetists status I–II, aged between 21 and 60 years, enlisted to undergo hemorrhoidectomy under spinal anesthesia were included. Patients were randomly divided into two groups. Group I was the nalbuphine group (n=20), which received 15 mg (3 ml) of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine+2 mg (0.1 ml) of nalbuphine HCl. Group II was the neostigmine group (n=20), which received 15 mg (3 ml) of 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine+50 μg (0.1 ml) of neostigmine. The total volume administered in each group was 3.1 ml. Results The onset of sensory block was significantly faster in nalbuphine group than neostigmine group, whereas onset of motor block was significant faster in neostigmine group than in nalbuphine group (P=0.0001). The time to two-segment sensory regression was significantly longer in nalbuphine group than in neostigmine group (P Conclusion Addition of either nalbuphine or neostigmine to intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine induces postoperative analgesia with no significant adverse effect. However, nalbuphine was superior to neostigmine in prolongation of duration of motor block and postoperative analgesia, with decreased postoperative analgesic requirement.

Study of effect of intrathecal labor analgesia using fentanyl 25μg alone and fentanyl 20μg plus bupivacaine 2.5mg on the progress of labor at a teaching hospital

Study of effect of intrathecal labor analgesia using fentanyl 25μg alone and fentanyl 20μg plus bupivacaine 2.5mg on the progress of labor at a teaching hospital

Effect of intrathecal morphine before and after laminectomy on intra-operative surgical stress response and post-operative pain: A prospective randomized study.

Intrathecal administration of morphine. A prospective, randomized, controlled study. Operating room. Ninety patients of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical statuses I and II undergoing lumbar laminectomy. Pre-emptive versus post-operative intrathecal morphine injection, compared to a control group. The visual analog score at the time of discharge and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 18, and 24 h later, serum cortisol level, the number of patients needing post-operative rescue analgesia, its duration, and the total amount required. Morphine sulfate consumption as rescue analgesia over 24-h post-operatively was significantly higher in general anesthesia group (Group I) than in pre-emptive intrathecal morphine groups (Group II) [p = 0.001] and then post-operative intrathecal morphine group (Group III) [p = 0.001], and it was higher in Group III than Group II [p = 0.001]. There was a greater need for post-operative rescue morphine in general anesthesia group (Group I) than in the other two groups, and it was greater in post-operative intrathecal morphine group (Group III) than in pre-emptive in-trathecal morphine group (Group II). At 30 min after surgical incisions and at 1 and 24 h after surgery, serum cortisol levels were significantly higher in general anesthesia group (Group I) [p = 0.001] and in post-operative intrathecal mor-phine group (Group III) [p = 0.001] than in pre-emptive intrathecal morphine groups (Group II), with no significant differ-ence between general anesthesia group (Group I) and post-operative intrathecal morphine group (Group III) [p = 0.704, 0.263, and 0.943, respectively]. Pre-emptive intrathecal morphine analgesia is an effective technique for controlling surgical stress re-sponse and post-lumbar laminectomy pain.

Intrathecal Analgesia Versus Non-analgesia in Labor on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

Intrathecal Analgesia Versus Non-analgesia in Labor on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes

A Literature Review of Intrathecal Morphine Analgesia in Patients Undergoing Major Open Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary (HPB) Surgery.

ContextThe optimal analgesic method for patients undergoing major open hepato-pancreatic-biliary surgery remains controversial. Continuous epidural infusion at the thoracic level remains the standard choice, however concerns have been raised due to associated complications. Single shot intrathecal morphine has emerged as a promising alternative offering similar analgesia with an enhanced safety profile.Evidence AcquisitionThis review aimed to evaluate the literature comparing intrathecal morphine analgesia to other analgesic modalities following major open hepato-pancreatic-biliary surgery. The primary outcome was pain scores at rest and on movement 24 h after surgery. Secondary outcomes were postoperative opioid consumption within 72 postoperative hours, length of stay (LOS), intra-operative fluid administration and post-operative fluid administration within 72 postoperative hours, and overall systemic complication rate within 30 postoperative days.ResultsEleven trials matching the inclusion criteria were analysed. Intrathecal morphine resulted in equivalent or lower pain scores when contrasted to alternative techniques, but required higher amounts of postoperative opioid. Intrathecal morphine also offered reduced LOS and reduced fluid administration requirements to epidural analgesia, and there was no difference observed in major complication rate between analgesic modalities.ConclusionsIn summary the evidence suggests that intrathecal morphine may be a better first-line analgesic modality than epidural analgesia in the context of major open hepato-pancreatic-biliary surgery, but high-quality evidence supporting this is limited.

Pain Management Strategies for Thoracic Surgery

Improper management of postoperative pain following thoracic surgery can be quite debilitating and lead to a number of complications due to the multitude of comorbid conditions manifested by the population of patients undergoing these types of procedures. These can include advanced lung disease, advanced age, heart disease, renal insufficiency and obesity.¹ The source of this acute postsurgical pain is multifactorial and can include skin incisions, deep tissue injuries, thoracostomy tubes, costovertebral joint separation and rib or sternal fractures.² Benefits of effective analgesia include decreased risk of perioperative morbidity, decreased hospital stay, decreased cost and increased patient satisfaction.³ There have been numerous studies conducted to determine the best pain management regimen for control of postthoracotomy pain, however, no single technique has thus far proven to be superior. Instead, most clinicians would advocate for a multimodal approach combining regional techniques, such as thoracic epidural analgesia or paravertebral blocks, with systemic analgesic medications including a combination of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitors, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids and other analgesic adjuncts. This chapter will examine the different analgesic options currently available and being utilized for various types of thoracic surgical procedures. This will include a review of the systemic analgesic and non-analgesic optiondis as well as regional anesthetic techniques. The chapter will conclude with a discussion of chronic post-thoracotomy pain syndrome and currently available treatments. This review contains 4 tables, and 87 references. Keywords: systemic analgesic therapy, opioid analgesic medications, regional anesthetic techniques, thoracic epidural analgesia, paravertebral analgesia, chronic post-thoracotomy pain management, Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS), intrathecal opioid analgesia, intercostal analgesia, intrapleural analgesia

Effects of Intraperitoneal and Intrathecal Morphine Analgesia on the Expression of μ-Opioid Receptors in Bone Cancer Pain Rats.

Backgrounds:This study compared analgesic effects and μ-opioid receptor expression levels during long-term intraperitoneal and intrathecal treatment in a bone cancer pain rat.Methods:Twenty-four female Sprague-Dawley rats were injected Walker 256 tumor cells into the femur to create a bone cancer pain model. The control group was injected with saline intraperitoneally and intrathecally. The intraperitoneal group was injected with morphine intraperitoneally and saline intrathecally. The intrathecal group was injected saline intraperitoneally and morphine intrathecally. Changes in pain threshold, μ-opioid receptor expression levels in spinal cord, and tumor tissue were compared between 3 groups.Results:The intrathecal morphine group and the intraperitoneal group showed no difference in analgesia effects (P > .05). Western blot and immunohistochemical staining of μ-opioid receptors demonstrated that its level in the intrathecal group was significantly lower than the intraperitoneal group (P < .05) and without significant difference with the control group (P > .05). The expression levels of μ-opioid receptor in the spinal cord tissue did not reveal a difference among these 3 groups (P > .05).Conclusion:Intrathecal group and intraperitoneal group showed significant difference in μ-opioid receptor expressions although with no difference in analgesia effects. Long-term intrathecal morphine administration provided similar analgesia compared to systemic morphine.

Spinal DN-9, a Peptidic Multifunctional Opioid/Neuropeptide FF Agonist Produced Potent Nontolerance Forming Analgesia With Limited Side Effects

The development of multitarget opioid drugs has emerged as an attractive therapeutic strategy to eliminate opioid-related side effects. Our previous study developed a series of opioid and neuropeptide FF pharmacophore-containing chimeric peptides, including DN-9 (Tyr-D.Ala-Gly-NMe.Phe-Gly-Pro-Gln-Arg-Phe-NH2), which produced potent nontolerance forming analgesia at the supraspinal level. In the present study, the antinociceptive effects of DN-9 in a series of preclinical pain models and the potential side-effects were investigated at the spinal level in mice. In the tail-flick test, intrathecal injection of DN-9 produced potent analgesia with an ED50 value at 1.33 pmol, and the spinal antinociception of DN-9 was mainly mediated by μ- and κ-opioid receptors. In addition, DN-9-induced spinal antinociception was augmented by the neuropeptide FF receptors antagonist. Furthermore, DN-9 could decrease both the frequency and amplitude of sEPSCs in lamina IIo neurons of the spinal cord, which were mediated by opioid receptors. In contrast to morphine, chronic intrathecal treatments with DN-9 did not induce analgesic tolerance, c-Fos expression or microglial activation. Intrathecal injection of DN-9 showed potent analgesia with antinociceptive ED50 values between .66 and 55.04 pmol in different pain models, including the formalin test, acetic acid-induced writhing test, carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain. Moreover, DN-9 did not show side effects in locomotor function and coordination, gastrointestinal transit inhibition, the cardiovascular system, and body temperature regulation at antinociceptive doses. Taken together, the present study showed DN-9 produced effective, nontolerance forming analgesia with reduced side effects at the spinal level. DN-9 might be a promising compound for developing multifunctional opioid analgesics with limited adverse effects. PerspectiveThis article presents the potent and nontolerance forming analgesia effects of DN-9 in a series of preclinical pain models with less opioid related adverse effects at the spinal level in mice. This study also demonstrates that DN-9 has translational potential into an intrathecal analgesic.

Optimizing Initial Intrathecal Drug Ratio for Refractory Cancer-Related Pain for Early Pain Relief. A Retrospective Monocentric Study.

Intrathecal (IT) drug delivery has shown its efficiency in treating refractory cancer pain, but switching opioids from the systemic to the intrathecal route is a challenging phase. Moreover, associations are widely used and recommended. Few data deal with the initial dosage of each drug. Analyzing conversion factors and initial dosages used in intrathecal therapy seems essential to decreasing the length of titration and to delivering quick pain relief to patients. We retrospectively analyzed data from consecutive adult patients implanted with an intrathecal device for cancer pain and treated at the Institut de Cancérologie de l'Ouest, in Angers, France, for four years. The main goal was to identify factors associated with early pain relief after intrathecal drug delivery system (IDDS) implantation. Of the 220 IDDS-treated patients, 70 (32%) experienced early pain relief (EaPR) and 150 (68%) delayed pain relief (DePR). Performance Status stage and initial IT ropivacaine:IT morphine ratio were the variables independently associated with EaPR. The best IT ropivacaine:IT morphine ratio to predict EaPR was 5:1, with a 73% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 64.8% to 79.6%) sensitivity and a 67.1% (95% CI = 54.9% to 77.9%) specificity. EaPR subjects experienced better pain relief (-84% vs -60% from baseline pain score, P < 0.0001), shorter length of hospitalization (7 vs 10 days, P < 0.0001), and longer survival (155 vs 82 days, P = 0.004). Local anesthetic:morphine ratio should be considered when starting IDDS treatment. EaPR during the IT analgesia titration phase was associated with better pain relief and outcomes in patients with refractory cancer-related pain.