The aim of this study was to observe the
analgesic effects of the combination of
dezocine and
butorphanol on postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients. Forty elderly patients undergoing upper abdominal surgeries or
thoracotomies with
general anesthesia were randomly divided into the
dezocine and
butorphanol group or the
butorphanol group (20 patients per group). A visual analog scale was used to evaluate
analgesia and the degree of malignant
vomiting. The Ramsay scoring method was used to evaluate sedation. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to evaluate cognitive function. Forty-eight hours after the operation, the
pain score of the
dezocine and
butorphanol group (means ± SD, 1.75 ± 0.44) was lower than that of the
butorphanol group (2.25 ± 0.79; P < 0.05), and the
nausea and
vomiting score of the
dezocine and
butorphanol group (0) was lower than that of the
butorphanol group (0.70 ± 1.30; P < 0.05). Six hours after the operation, the
sedative score of the
butorphanol group (3.75 ± 0.79) was higher than that of the
dezocine and
butorphanol group (2.15 ± 0.75; P < 0.05). Compared to 1 day before the operation, the MMSE scores of both groups decreased 6 h after the operation, and the MMSE score of the
butorphanol group (15.00 ± 2.00) was lower than that of the
dezocine and
butorphanol group (20.95 ± 1.54; P < 0.05).
Dezocine and
butorphanol analgesia had transient effects on postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients, and the effect of the combination was superior than
butorphanol only.