Anaesthesia
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Pre-operative information and patient-controlled analgesia: much ado about nothing.
We examined whether pre-operative information benefited patients receiving patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) after major surgery. We investigated whether patients felt better informed about PCA and also whether pre-operative information altered the use of PCA, the adequacy of pain relief, worries about addiction and safety, and knowledge of side-effects. We investigated the effectiveness of information provided in two ways, namely by a patient-determined leaflet or an interview by a trained nurse from the pain team, compared with routine pre-operative information. ⋯ However, there were no effects on pain relief, worries about addiction and safety, and knowledge of side effects. The pre-operative interview resulted in no benefits. Our findings indicate that the detailed provision of pre-operative information failed to improve patients' experiences of PCA.