The concentration of morphine and morphine glucuronide in serum after epidural injection of 9 patients with aortic abdominal surgery was measured using gas chromatography-mass fragmentography. The decline of morphine serum concentration after epidural administration of 0.1 mg/kg was described by a bi- or triexponential decay equation with a mean terminal half-life (t1/2) of 134.7 +/- 107.9 min. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from the fit parameters mean values for clearance and apparent volume of distribution were 1.16 +/- 0.65 l/min, and 156.6 +/- 107.3 l, respectively, for free morphine and 0.19 +/- 0.09 l/min and 37.2 +/- 17.7 l, respectively, for morphine glucuronide. Peak concentration of morphine 79 +/- 19 ng/ml was reached within 10 min after administration. Haemodynamic values, ECG, end-expiratory CO2 concentration, temperature, acid-base status, hemoglobin, Na+, K+, total Ca++, lactate, glucose concentration in the blood and the urine were registered before, during and after the operation.