[A comparison of patient-controlled analgesia with traditional intramuscular administration for postoperative pain relief].

The use of a disposable non-electronic patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device (Baxter) was evaluated in this study. Every patient under trial was instructed thoroughly how to use the PCA device before operation. The PCA device delivers a 25 mg IV injection of pethidine upon patient demand with a delay of 15 min between allowable administrations. The degree of patient satisfaction, the drug consumption, and the duration of using analgesia were compared with those in IM pethidine group. The results showed that, in the PCA group, the duration of using analgesic was longer; the drug consumption was greater (especially during the first 20 h after operation); and the degree of patient satisfaction was higher. The series comprised a total of 54 patients, 14 of whom complained of mild dizziness or nausea which did not require specific treatment. In sum, giving analgesic by the Baxter PCA device was a safe and effective alternative for IM analgesic in postoperative pain control.