Patient-controlled analgesia: a comparison with nurse-controlled intravenous opioid infusions.
Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) with intravenous pethidine was compared with nurse-controlled pethidine infusions for pain relief in 200 patients after major abdominal or thoracic surgery. Pain, level of sedation, nausea and presence of other adverse effects, in addition to cumulative pethidine requirement, were measured for the first 24 hours after surgery. Both groups were similar for age, weight and type of surgery. There was no significant difference between the quality of analgesia achieved in both groups. The frequency and severity of adverse effects was also similar. The cumulative pethidine dose administered to both groups was identical. It is concluded that nurse-controlled opioid infusions are as effective as PCA and may be used as an alternative to PCA where this is either unavailable or unsuitable.
Murphy
D F
DF
Acute Pain Service, Department of Anaesthesia, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia.
Graziotti
P
P
Chalkiadis
G
G
McKenna
M
M
D000698:Analgesia / Q000451:nursing*; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000451:nursing; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D008614:Meperidine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D009325:Nausea / Q000209:etiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013908:Thoracotomy; D014839:Vomiting / Q000209:etiology
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008614:Meperidine