Korean J Anesthesiol.  1982 Dec;15(4):508-512.

Hemodynamic Changes after Intravenous Morphine Injection

• Shin CM
• Woo NS
• Park KW
• Lee WK

Abstract

The beneficial effect of morphine in pulmonary edema and congstive heart failure is probably due to a variety of factors, venous pooling of blood, rise in pulmonary arteriorlar resistance protecting the alveoli against plasma transudation, decreased ventilation without dyspnea, sedative effect and reduction of left ventricular work. Some reports suggested that the effects of morphine on the central nervous system may also be important. Nine partients with mitral vavular disease were given 0.1mg/kg morphine after diagnostic heart catheterization. Some, but statistically insignificant, fall in the aortic blood pressure and the systemic vascular resistance, and some, but again statistically insignificant, rise in pulmonary vascular resisstance were observed 10 minutes after the injection of morphine in most of the nine patients. The effects on cardiac output, heart rate, mean pulmonary artery pressure and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure were also within the ranges of statistical insignificance. All nine patients tolerated the intravenous injection of morphine without any ill effects.