title: A patient's experience of a new post-operative patient-controlled analgesic technique.
abstract: A patient underwent major spinal surgery, twice within a 3 week period. On the first occasion his post-operative pain was managed by conventional morphine patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). After the second procedure his pain was managed by a patient-controlled computer-assisted titration of alfentanil. This provided the opportunity to compare the efficacy of these two drug regimens in the same subject. The results showed comparable quality of analgesia and sedation and similar effects on respiration. However, the patient expressed a preference for morphine PCA.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Anaesthesiology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Visram
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kornberg
mesh_terms: D015760:Alfentanil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009020:Morphine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D013123:Spinal Fusion; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D017186:Titrimetry
chemical_list: D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D015760:Alfentanil; D009020:Morphine