Making patient-controlled analgesia safer for patients
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Pennsylvania patient safety advisory
- Contributor(s):
- Ritter III, H.T.M. Pennsylvania. Patient Safety Authority. ECRI (Organization) Institute for Safe Medication Practices.
- Publication:
- [Harrisburg, Pa.] : Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, c2011
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Analgesia, Patient-Controlled -- instrumentation Analgesics, Opioid -- administration & dosage Medication Errors -- prevention & control Analgesia, Patient-Controlled -- adverse effects Analgesics, Opioid -- adverse effects Equipment Safety Infusion Pumps Respiratory Insufficiency -- chemically induced Humans Pennsylvania United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority has received approximately 4,500 event reports associated with patient-controlled analgesic (PCA) pumps (June 2004 through May 2010). PCA infusion pumps allow patients to self-administer doses of pain-relieving medication as needed, rather than having to summon a caregiver. The most significant risk when using these pumps is overmedication leading to opioid-induced respiratory depression. This article assesses this and other risks associated with PCA therapy reported to the Authority. It reviews ways to prevent adverse events.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-ND license. (More information)
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101570808 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101570808