Patient-controlled analgesia

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is not a panacea. Although the analgesic efficacy of PCA compared with traditional intramuscular opioids is well established, little evidence shows that PCA positively influences postoperative morbidity, recovery, or length of stay. Ln addition, PCA is associated with all the usual opioid-related side effects, including potential lethal respiratory depression. The objective of this article is to provide readers with a practical, clinically focused overview of PCA in adult postoperative patients that emphasizes appropriate patient selection, appropriate PCA orders, and patient safety.