Final answer:
Duramorph is a brand name for morphine sulfate, used for pain relief in epidural anesthesia and analgesia. It is administered into the space outside the spinal cord and has a long duration of action. Intrathecal fentanyl, on the other hand, is administered directly into the cerebrospinal fluid using a spinal catheter and has a shorter duration of effect.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of duramorph is to provide pain relief. It is a brand name for morphine sulfate, which is a potent opioid analgesic. Duramorph is commonly used in epidural anesthesia and analgesia for surgical procedures, particularly during labor and after surgery.
It is administered into the space outside the spinal cord, providing localized pain relief by blocking pain signals. Duramorph has a long duration of action due to its slow release from the injection site, which helps in providing continuous pain relief over an extended period.
When comparing it to intrathecal fentanyl, both drugs are opioids used for pain management, but intrathecal fentanyl refers to administering fentanyl directly into the cerebrospinal fluid using a spinal catheter. This method provides more rapid onset of pain relief; however, the duration of effect is shorter compared to duramorph.