Patient-Controlled Analgesia (PCA) for Pain Management after Gynecological Surgery

Lee, Jung Koo; Kim, Jin Mo; Chung, Jung Kil

Abstract

The use of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia is an effective and increasingly used means of providing postoperative pain relief. Recently a non-electric, disposable and portable infusor, the Baxter Infusor(R), has developed. This delivers not only a continuous drug infusion but can also deliver extradoses of medication on demand. The present study examined the benefits of two kinds of analgesics for pain management in 28 patients undergoing gynecological surgery. One group, 14 patients, received i.v. meperidine 0.5 mg/kg as loading dose in the recovery room and PCA with meperidine 3 mg/kg/day for 3 days only (M group). In the other group, 14 patients, also received i.v. meperidine 0.5 mg/kg as loading dose in the recovery room and PCA meperidine 3 mg/kg/day for 3 days and droperidol 5mg (MD group). The PCA device used was the Baxter Infusor(R). This unit was fitted with patient control module which had a flow rate 0.5 ml/hr and the lockout time was 15 min. Resulting from the study, the MD patients in the first and second days post-operatively, reported less pain compared with the M group. VAPS (Visual Analogue Pain Scales) values were 3.52 +/-l.61 vs. 2.22 +/- 0.69, 2.38 +/- 1.12 vs. 1.45 +/- 0.48 and 1.93 +/- 1.65 vs. 0.98 +/- 0.36, respectively pertaining to M and MD groups. In conclusion, the MD group with meperidine and droperidol (mixed regimen) provided more effective postoperative analgesia than M group (meperidine only).