title: An unexpected benefit of pre-emptive rectal analgesic administration: the "key" to postoperative analgesia.
abstract: Analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs are frequently administered intraoperatively by the rectal route to provide pre-emptive postoperative analgesia. We report the case of an inmate of a federal penitentiary who underwent orthopedic surgery in a public hospital. After induction of general anesthesia, indomethacin and acetaminophen were administered rectally. This led to the incidental discovery of a handcuff key hidden in the rectum and, thereby, the prevention of a planned escape. A review of data regarding escapes by prisoners from public hospitals is provided, as well as a description of cases of patients presenting with foreign rectal objects. A number of benefits have been described for the use of pre-emptive analgesia. This is the first reported description of an incidental benefit: the prevention of a planned escape by a prison inmate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont. parlowj@post.queensu.ca
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Parlow
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011329:Prisoners; D012007:Rectum; D013488:Suppositories
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D013488:Suppositories