Morphine is an opioid administered for acute and chronic pain conditions. The advantage of intrathecal (IT) morphine over intravenous (IV), oral (PO), or transdermal (TD) opiates is due to its delivery into the subarachnoid space with direct access to opiate receptors and ion channels. It may be administered as a bolus, an infusion, or a combination of the two. This activity describes the mode of action of intrathecal morphine, including mechanism of action, pharmacology, adverse event profiles, eligible patient populations, monitoring, and highlights the role of the interprofessional team in the management of conditions where intrathecal morphine offers an advantage.
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