title: Home epidural analgesic infusion for non-cancer pain.
abstract: Continuous epidural analgesic infusion is widely recognized to be helpful for pain relief in the patient with cancer pain, but it can be as beneficial for the patient with non-cancer pain. Cancer pain patients have been offered long-term epidural infusion for relief of chronic pain, but non-cancer pain patients have less frequently been provided the same opportunities for pain relief. Both patient outcome and cost-effectiveness must dictate treatments offered as alternatives to long-term use of oral or injectables, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories and muscle relaxants. It is necessary for nurses practicing in pain management and home health settings to understand the anatomy, neuropharmacology and nursing implications in order to effectively care for this growing population of patients. Epidural infusion is a safe and effective route of pain relief if the medical criteria as been met for choosing the patients receiving the treatment, and if the caregivers understand the treatment and expected outcomes. This article discusses anatomic considerations in drug selection, physiology, patient selection, neuropharmacology and patient care for epidural infusion. This article is designed to assist the nurse in accomplishing the patient and physician goals in this treatment modality for chronic non-cancer pain.
mesh_terms: D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000451:nursing*; D018718:Home Infusion Therapy / Q000451:nursing*; D006801:Humans; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010146:Pain / Q000451:nursing*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010166:Palliative Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic