Nursing times
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Multimodal analgesia is the cornerstone of acute pain management. Paracetamol and NSAIDs provide background analgesia to which opioids and or adjuvant analgesics can be added, once the cause of pain is identified. ⋯ Different routes of administration should not affect the level of analgesia achieved. Prompt recognition and treatment of side-effects helps to optimise pain management.
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This overview has addressed some of the key principles relating to patient-controlled analgesia. It is important to remember that PCA will continue to develop in the future and new techniques are being devised. PCA can provide an effective method of analgesia for many patients. However, it is not the only form of analgesia available, therefore a thorough assessment must be made before starting to use this analgesic technique.