The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
An evaluation of the effectiveness of patient-controlled analgesia after spinal surgery.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in patients undergoing spinal surgery. Sixty patients undergoing spinal surgery were randomly assigned to receive PCA or the standard approach to postoperative analgesia (intramuscular injections on an "as needed" basis). ⋯ There were no differences between the groups in total daily analgesic intake, presence of adverse effects and length of hospital stay. These data suggest that PCA is a safe, effective approach to managing pain after spinal surgery.