PATIENT-CONTROLLED ANALGESIA

Acute postoperative pain often is unrelieved by conventional intramuscular and intravenous analgesic therapy. Difficulties arise from determining severity of pain, appropriate dosing, dosing intervals, health professional attitudes towards opioid administration, and the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of analgesics themselves. Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is a safe, effective, and increasingly popular method used to treat postoperative pain that may be applicable for patients after major oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures. © 1992.