Little information exists to compare traditional oral or rectal delivery routes of analgesics for acute postoperative pain treatment in outpatients with the more pharmacokinetically flexible technique of patient controlled analgesia (PCA). Beyond PCA's impact on pain intensity per se, almost nothing is known regarding its postoperative use in ambulatory patients in relation to side effects, patient satisfaction, or functional capacity. This study will examine these issues in light of the increasing pressures for same day discharge after surgery of progressively sicker patients.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter