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Refers to any method of allowing a person in pain to administer his own pain relief.
Any method of allowing a person in pain to administer their own pain relief.
The infusion of analgesics is programmable by the prescriber.
In a hospital setting, it refers to an electronically controlled infusion pump that delivers an amount of intravenous analgesic when the patient presses a button.
It can be used for both acute and chronic pain patients.
It is commonly used for post-operative pain management, and for end-stage cancer patients.
If it is functioning as intended, the machine is unlikely to deliver an overdose of medication.
The most common form of patient-controlled analgesia is self-administration of oral painkillers.
Narcotics are the most common analgesics administered by PCAs.
Transcutaneous delivery systems, are available: are popular for administration of opioids such as fentanyl, or local anesthetics such as lidocaine.
Advantages of patient-controlled analgesia: self-delivery of pain medication, faster alleviation of pain, and dosage monitoring by medical staff.
Patients spends less time in pain and tend to use less medication than in cases in which medication is given according to a set schedule or on a timer.
The patient is protected from overdose by programmed delivery of a dose at set intervals.
If a patient presses the button sooner than the prescribed intake pressing the button does not operate the PCA.
The analgesic infusion is programmable, and if programmed and functioning as intended it is unlikely to deliver an overdose of medication.
The first administration of any PCA medication must be observed for allergic reactions.
A patient-controlled analgesia infusion pump, configured for intravenous administration of morphine for postoperative analgesia
PCA can be used for both acute and chronic pain, and is commonly used for post-operative pain management, and for end-stage cancer patients.
Narcotics are the most common analgesics administered through PCAs.
The patient is protected from overdose by programming the PCA to deliver a dose at set intervals, and dosage is also controlled when the patient is too sedated to press the button; preventing the patient from receiving needless doses..
Patient-controlled epidural analgesia describes the patient-controlled administration of analgesic medicine in the epidural space, by way of intermittent boluses or infusion pumps.
PCA epidural analgesia can be used by women in labour, cancer pain or to manage post-operative pain.
Patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) is a related to the administration of analgesic medicine in the epidural space, by way of intermittent boluses or infusion pumps.
PCEA can be used by women in labor, terminally ill cancer patients or to manage post-operative pain.
Patient Controlled Intranasal Analgesia refers to PCA devices in a Nasal spray form with features to control the number of sprays that can be delivered in a fixed time period.
Advantages of PCA include self-delivery of pain medication, faster alleviation of pain, and dosage monitoring by medical staff, patient spends less time in pain and tend to use less medication than in cases in which medication is given according to a set schedule.
Disadvantages of PCA include the possibility of abuse of narcotics, under-dose or overdose of medicine.
Disadvantages also include the possibility that a patient will use the pain medication non-medically, may be inappropriate for patients with learning difficulties, confusion, or poor manual dexterity.
PCA may not be appropriate for young patients.
The system may also be inappropriate for patients who suffer learning difficulties, confusion, impaired manual dexterity, who are critically ill or very young.