Epidural, intrathecal, and patient-controlled analgesic use in a university medical center.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the number and profile of surgical patients receiving epidural, intrathecal, and patient-controlled analgesia.


METHODS
Two-month audit of epidural, intrathecal, and patient-controlled analgesia.


METHODS
A 300-bed, tertiary care, university medical center.


METHODS
All patients undergoing surgery and receiving epidural, intrathecal, or patient-controlled analgesia.


RESULTS
Of 1123 operations performed during the two-month audit, 185 patients (16 percent) received one of the three forms of analgesia studied. Sixty-three percent of the 185 patients received patient-controlled analgesia and 33 percent received epidural injections for pain control. The most common types of surgery associated with the use of these specialized pain-control techniques were obstetric/gynecologic, orthopedic, general, urologic, and cardiothoracic.


CONCLUSIONS
Specialized forms of analgesia are becoming increasingly common. Our audit defined the number of patients receiving such therapies according to type of surgery. Collection of such information by other institutions should allow for targeted evaluations of cost-effectiveness (e.g., drug use evaluations).
Erstad
B L
BL
College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson 85721.
Snyder
B A
BA
Kramer
T H
TH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000761:Anesthesia Department, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000775:Anesthesia, Spinal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001130:Arizona; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative / Q000706:statistics & numerical data