Acute pain management: evaluation of the effectiveness of intravenous patient-controlled analgesia with vascular patients.

A new technique of postoperative analgesia now widely used throughout North America is patient-controlled analgesia (PCA). With this technique, patients manage acute pain by self-administering postoperative IV narcotics. Vascular patients, who often suffer from multiple disease processes of the cardiovascular system, are excellent candidates for IVPCA since effective pain management has the potential to reduce the incidence of complications. However, no studies to date have examined the use of patient-controlled analgesia with vascular patients. This retrospective, descriptive study identifies the demographic characteristics, dosing patterns, and side-effects evident in vascular patients placed on IV morphine PCA following surgery. The results of this study suggest that the use of IVPCA with an older patient group, such as vascular patients, can be successful when implemented as part of a program established and monitored by an Acute Pain Service.