title: Patient-controlled analgesia in a postoperative total joint arthroplasty population.
abstract: The present study prospectively evaluated patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in 94 postoperative primary total joint patients. Total knee arthroplasty patients had significantly higher pain scores than those undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Trochanteric osteotomy patients used less morphine (mean, 37.6 mg) than those undergoing a muscle-splitting (Hardinge) approach. Eighty-eight percent of patients would use PCA again. The authors recommend PCA as a potentially superior form of postoperative pain control in joint arthroplasty patients, but recommend antiemetic usage, generous additional intravenous administration of bolus doses on the floor, trials of higher set doses, and earlier administration of PCA in the recovery room.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Springstead
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Rothman
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Booth
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D006622:Hip Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007595:Joint Prosthesis; D007720:Knee Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D009020:Morphine