Morphine - what is it? You will find the answer to the question below. In addition, we will talk about what this drug is used for, how it is used, etc.
Morphine - what is it?
In its pure form, the drug "Morphine" is a crystalline white powder. By the way, "Morphine" is its outdated name. It should be especially noted that the name of this substance comes from the name of the Greek god Morpheus, who commanded dreams. Morphine is a medicine that is an opium alkaloid. It is made from the dried juice of the opium poppy. In addition, such a substance can be found in the composition of herbs such as stephania, moonseed, synomenium, etc.
Historical background
Morphine - what is it? It is a drug with analgesic, sedative and hypnotic effect. A drug made on the basis of such a substance was actively used in medical practice as early as 1805. Not a single hospital could do without it during the American Civil War. As a strong analgesic drug, it was administered to wounded soldiers intravenously and intramuscularly after surgical interventions. This greatly eased their suffering. However, it should be noted thatsuch a tool quickly became addictive. Soon, the condition to which the patient was subjected after prolonged use of the medication received such a name as "soldier's disease".
As you know, at the beginning of the last century, morphine was used not only by the military, but also by doctors who wanted to get rid of the feeling of fatigue with it.
Medication form
The drug "Morphine" is available in the form of tablets of 0.01 g, 1% solution in ampoules and in a 1 ml syringe-tube.
Product properties
Describing morphine (medicine), we can note its following features:
- This drug is produced as white needles or white crystalline powder that turns slightly yellow or gray on storage.
- Such an agent is slowly soluble in water and hardly soluble in alcohol. It is incompatible with alkalis. The prepared solution must be sterilized at 100°C for half an hour. Hydrochloric acid is added to stabilize it.
- The melting point of this drug is 254°C.
- Specific rotation of solution − 2%.
- Ignites at 261°C.
- Auto-ignition occurs at 349°C.
Pharmacodynamics
Morphine is a drug that is a member of the group of opioid analgesics. It induces euphoria, relieves pain symptoms, induces a feeling of peace of mind, elevates mood, and offers bright prospects regardless ofreal state of affairs. It is these properties of this drug that contribute to the formation of physical and mental dependence.
In high doses, this drug has a rather strong hypnotic effect. In addition, morphine inhibits all conditioned reflexes, causes miosis and reduces the excitability of the cough center. By increasing the tone of the muscles of the internal organs, it contributes to spasms of the sphincter of Oddi and the biliary tract. In addition, such a drug significantly weakens intestinal motility, but at the same time accelerates emptying and increases gastric motility.
Pharmacokinetics
Most often, morphine (an anesthetic) is prescribed intravenously, subcutaneously and intramuscularly. However, rectal, oral, epidural or intrathecal use is also possible. This drug is absorbed fairly quickly. About 20-40% of the drug binds to plasma proteins. The drug "Morphine" crosses the placenta and can cause respiratory impairment in the fetus. It should also be noted that this drug is found in breast milk.
When administered intramuscularly, the effect of morphine develops in about 15-26 minutes. The maximum distribution in the bloodstream is achieved after 35-45 minutes and lasts about 3-5 hours.
Morphine drug: application
Medication "Morphine" is used as an analgesic for various diseases and injuries, which are accompanied by quite strong pain. In addition, it is used during preparation for surgery, andalso in the postoperative period. Often it is prescribed for insomnia, severe coughing and shortness of breath, which is caused by acute heart failure.
Sometimes "Morphine" is used in X-ray practice during the study of the stomach, gallbladder and duodenum. This is due to the fact that the introduction of this drug helps to increase the tone of the muscles of the stomach, increase its peristalsis and accelerate emptying. Thanks to this effect, it becomes much easier for specialists to identify ulcers and tumors of internal organs.
Indications for use
As you know, morphine in cancer helps to quickly eliminate pain, which greatly alleviates the patient's condition. In this regard, it should be noted that this remedy:
- suppresses severe pain in trauma, malignant neoplasms, myocardial infarction and unstable angina;
- used as an additional drug to local or general anesthesia during surgery;
- sometimes used for childbirth, cough (if other remedies are ineffective) and pulmonary edema;
- appointed before x-ray examination of the stomach, duodenum and gallbladder.
Contraindications for use
This drug is not recommended for hypersensitivity to the components, depression of the respiratory center (for example, against the background of drug or alcohol poisoning) and the central nervous system, as well as paralytic intestinalobstruction. In addition, morphine should not be used for spinal and epidural anesthesia.
Use with extreme care
Use this remedy with extreme caution for pain in the abdomen for an unknown reason, emotional lability, asthma attacks, arrhythmias, convulsions, drug addiction, alcoholism, suicidal tendencies, cholelithiasis, as well as during surgical intervention on the urinary tract system and organs of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, such a drug should be carefully used for brain injuries, prostatic hyperplasia, liver or kidney failure, intracranial hypertension, urethral stricture, hypothyroidism, severe inflammatory bowel disease, epileptic syndrome, pregnancy, lactation and after surgery on the biliary tract. Morphine should also be used with extreme caution in severe condition of patients, in the elderly and in childhood.
Dosage
Answering the question of what morphine is, you should also talk about its dosages.
For ingestion, the patient should definitely consult a doctor. After all, treatment should be selected depending on the individual sensitivity and severity of the pain syndrome. A single dose of this drug is 10-20mg for adults and 0.2-0.8mg/kg for children.
For extended release capsules, a single dose should be 10-100mg twice a day. For subcutaneous injection - 1 mg, andfor intramuscular and intravenous - 10 mg each. The maximum daily dose is 50 mg. If the patient needs rectal administration, then the intestines should be cleaned first. For adults, suppositories are prescribed in an amount of 30 mg every 13 hours.
Overdose
If this remedy is used incorrectly, the patient may experience the following side effects:
- cold and sticky sweat;
- confusion;
- fatigue;
- miosis;
- drowsy;
- intracranial hypertension;
- bradycardia;
- nervousness;
- sharp weakness;
- hypothermia;
- slow labored breathing;
- dry mouth;
- anxiety;
- delirious psychosis;
- dizziness;
- lower blood pressure;
- hallucinations;
- convulsions;
- muscle stiffness, etc.
