scholarly journals The Development and Clinical Use of Patient-Controlled Analgesia

1988 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Owen ◽  
L. E. Mather ◽  
K. Rowley

Patient-controlled analgesia has successfully made the transition from research tool to clinical acceptability. Reliable and sophisticated patient-controlled analgesia systems are commercially available. The technique has been most used for control of postoperative pain but has been successfully used during labour, after burns and other trauma and in terminal care. Virtually every opioid has been administered by patient-controlled analgesia using almost every route of administration. It is more effective than the traditional techniques of pain control after surgery but is not automatically so. Choice of opioid and the settings chosen for demand dose and lockout interval greatly influence effectiveness. Patient-controlled analgesia requires active participation by the patient but the psychology of patient-controlled analgesia has generally been underestimated. Patient-controlled analgesia has developed empirically and many assumptions have been made; there is a need for fundamental research.

Author(s):  
Kenneth Fomberstein ◽  
Marissa Rubin ◽  
Dipan Patel ◽  
John-Paul Sara ◽  
Abhishek Gupta

This chapter compares the basic properties of several opioid analgesics and explores their applications in perioperative pain control in spine surgery. Parenteral opioids have long been the cornerstone of treatment for postoperative pain; they work by inhibiting voltage-gated calcium channels and increasing potassium influx, which results in reduced neuronal excitability, thereby inhibiting the ascending transmission of painful stimuli and activating the descending inhibitory pathways. This chapter reviews concepts including opioid conversion and rotation, opioid tolerance, and opioid cross-tolerance. It discusses common opioid side effects, and it explores the perioperative use of several specific opioids including remifentanil, sufentanil, methadone, oxycodone, morphine, and tapentadol and discusses their use in spine surgery. Additionally, this chapter discusses patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and its importance in postoperative pain control.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Yen ◽  
Kim Turner ◽  
David Mark

BACKGROUND: Several studies addressing intrathecal morphine (ITM) use following spine surgery have been published either involving the pediatric population, using mid- to high-dose ITM, or not in conjunction with morphine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA).OBJECTIVES: To determine whether low-dose ITM is a useful adjunct to PCA for postoperative pain control following elective lumbar spine surgery in adults.METHODS: Thirty-two patients were enrolled in a double-blinded randomized controlled trial, and received either ITM or intrathecal placebo. Postoperatively, all patients were given a PCA pump and observed for the first 24 h in a step-down unit. Measurements of: total PCA morphine consumed in the first 24 h; intensity of pain; pruritus; nausea at 4 h, 8 h and 24 h; time to first ambulation; length of hospital stay; and occurrences of respiratory depression were recorded.RESULTS: The total PCA use was significantly lower in the ITM group. There were lower average pain scores in the ITM group, which increased to that of the intrathecal placebo group over 24 h; however, this failed to attain statistical significance. There were no differences in nausea, pruritus, time to first ambulation or hospital length stay. There were no cases of respiratory depression in either group.CONCLUSIONS: ITM may be a useful adjunct to PCA, but did not decrease time to ambulation or length of stay.


QJM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 113 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A T A Elkhouly ◽  
M A Bassiony ◽  
M M N Elshafey ◽  
K M Khalaf ◽  
A M Alansary

Abstract Introduction Effective postoperative pain control in total knee arthroplasty is important, especially with starting physiotherapy and early ambulation, which enhances recovery and reduces hospital length of stay. The risk of postoperative complications, such as deep venous thrombosis and nosocomial infections, has also been shown to decrease with early mobilization. Aim The aim of this study is to assess the analgesic efficacy of epidural bupivacaine compared with intravenous patient controlled analgesia (opioid and NSAIDs) during postoperative period in total knee arthroplasty. Patients Forty patients, ranging in age from 20 to 70 yr, scheduled to receive total knee replacements with spinal anesthesia were randomly assigned to this study. Methods patients received epidural bupivacaine 0.125% alone in (group epa) or iv nalbuphine 50mg, ketorolac 60mg via pca device. The quality of postoperative analgesia was assessed by the anesthesiologist according to Visual Analogue Score (VAS), Cortisol level 24 hours preoperative and 2 hours postoperative for stress response. Results The efficacy of both epidural Bupivacaine and i.v nalbuphine & ketorolac via PCA device in controlling pain after total Knee arthroplasty however PCA was slightly less efficient especialy during the 12 hr after surgery. We found that one of the main draw backs of epidural analgesia using bupivacaine were arterial hypotension and urinary retention which required catheterization of many patients for voiding of urine. Results were comparable between the 2 groups and were against group EPA, Serum cortisol levels were elevated 2h post-surgery in all patients. This elevation is in accordance with the well-established stress response to surgery. Furthermore, cortisol levels were significantly less elevated in the group EPA, compared with group PCA. Conclusion The results of the study revealed both Epidural bupivacaine and systemic opioids combined with NASID via PCA device are effective of pain control post TKA.


2007 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeon Soo Jeon ◽  
Yong Shin Kim ◽  
Jin Deok Joo ◽  
Jang Hyeok In ◽  
Jin Woo Choi ◽  
...  

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