title: Patient-controlled regional analgesia (PCRA).
abstract: It is not always necessary or desirable for a block to extend over a wide area, involve the sympathetic system or act bilaterally. Many blocks are capable of providing excellent analgesia in a limited area of the body and with minimal systemic effect. Peripheral nerve blocks are simple to perform, provide excellent analgesia and have a historical record of safety. In general, appropriate blocks exist for almost all area of the body. Since analgesic requirements and duration of a single dose local anesthetic vary greatly, patients can be expected to obtain better analgesia if they could control the amount and timing of local analgesic medication by PCRA. A new technique is described that allows the patient to self-administer a prescribed dose of local anesthetic at home.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Orebro Medical Center Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rawal
mesh_terms: D015360:Analgesia, Epidural; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction; D006801:Humans; D009407:Nerve Block