Dezocine versus esketamine as postoperative analgesia in women undergoing cesarean section

The objective of this was to investigate the effect of esketamine as a postoperative analgesia in women undergoing caesarean section. A total of 134 patients were divided into two groups: 112 received esketamine and 22 received dezocine, based on their voluntary choice of analgesic drugs for patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA). The postoperative analgesic effects were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 12 and 24 hours post-operation were significantly lower in the esketamine group than in the dezocine group (P<0.05). Additionally, the time to first anal exhaust was earlier in the esketamine group (P<0.05), while there were no significant differences in the time to first ambulation or urination between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in adverse reactions between the groups (P>0.05). The Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS) scores at 1 and 3 days after surgery were significantly higher than the preoperative scores in both groups (P<0.05); however, the EPDS scores were significantly lower in the esketamine group compared to the Dezocine group (P<0.05). We conclude that esketamine provides effective postoperative pain relief in women undergoing caesarean section patients without increasing adverse reactions, while it promotes recovery and reduces postpartum depression.