• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.28-39
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of preoperative education about patient controlled analgesia (PCA) on postoperative pain control for elderly after total knee arthroplasty. Methods: The study applied a quasi-experimental design. To prevent communication between experimental group and control groups, data from control group were collected before provision of preoperative education for the experimental group. A total of 50 elderly patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty and older than 65 years old participated in this study. The preoperative education about PCA was provided for the experimental group before surgery. The preoperative education program consisted of fifteen minute education about pain control, and PCA use, as well as demonstration of PCA use. Results: The experimental group had higher knowledge score about pain and PCA use, and more positive attitudes toward pain and use of analgesics after surgery than the control group. There was no significant difference in use of additional analgesics after surgery between the two groups. The experimental group had significantly lower pain score at 8, 24 and 36 hours after surgery than the control group. The experimental group had higher level of satisfaction about PCA use than the control group. Conclusion: The preoperative education about PCA, customized for elderly patients could be an effective nursing intervention for postoperative pain control after total knee arthroplasty.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.52-56
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• 2005

Herpes zoster (HZ) is an acute infection of the unilateral sensory dermatome caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and is characterized by vesicular eruption and unilateral pain along the involved dermatome. Although the pathogenesis of HZ is incompletely understood, it is thought that when cell-mediated immunity falls below a critical level, dormant VZV within cells of the sensory ganglia are allowed to replicate and infect the host with the resultant clinical presentation of HZ. It has been associated with immunosuppressed states, such as advanced age, leukemia, lymphoma, chemotherapy and/or radiation treatment. We present a case of a 62-year-old female patient with malignant lymphoma suffering herpes zoster ophthalmicus who did not respond to conventional treatment, and in whom the application of various nerve blocks and patient-controlled analgesia produced moderate pain relief. The patient died twenty days later due to cardiopulmonary failure.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.303-310
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• 2022

Background: Open gastrectomy causes severe postoperative pain. Therefore, we investigated the opioid-sparing effect of the ultrasound-guided bilateral erector spinae plane block (ESPB) after open gastrectomy. Methods: Adult patients undergoing open gastrectomy were randomly assigned to either the ESPB group (ESPB + fentanyl based intravenous patient-controlled analgesia [IV-PCA]) or a control group (fentanyl based IV-PCA only). The primary outcome was total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were pain intensities using a numeric rating scale at the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 hour postoperatively, and the amount of fentanyl equivalent consumption during the PACU stay and at 3, 6, and 12 hour postoperatively, and the time to the first request for rescue analgesia. Results: Fifty-eight patients were included in the analysis. There was no significant difference in total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour postoperatively between the two groups (P = 0.471). Pain intensities were not significantly different between the groups except during the PACU stay and 3 hour postoperatively (P < 0.001, for both). Time to the first rescue analgesia in the ward was longer in the ESPB group than the control group (P = 0.045). Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided ESPB did not decrease total fentanyl equivalent consumption during the first 24 hour after open gastrectomy. It only reduced postoperative pain intensity until 3 hour postoperatively compared with the control group. Ultrasound-guided single-shot ESPB cannot provide an efficient opioid-sparing effect after open gastrectomy.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.270-276
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• 2013

Background: Ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, might play a role in postoperative analgesia, but its effect on postoperative pain after caesarean section varies with study design. We investigated whether the preemptive administration of low-dose intravenous ketamine decreases postoperative opioid requirement and postoperative pain in parturients receiving intravenous fentanyl with patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) following caesarean section. Methods: Spinal anesthesia was performed in 40 parturients scheduled for elective caesarean section. Patients in the ketamine group received a 0.5 mg/kg ketamine bolus intravenously followed by 0.25 mg/kg/h continuous infusion during the operation. The control group received the same volume of normal saline. Immediately after surgery, the patients were connected to a PCA device set to deliver 25-${\mu}g$ fentanyl as an intravenous bolus with a 15-min lockout interval and no continuous dose. Postoperative pain was assessed using the cumulative dose of fentanyl and visual analog scale (VAS) scores at 2, 6, 24, and 48 h postoperatively. Results: Significantly less fentanyl was used in the ketamine group 2 h after surgery (P = 0.033), but the difference was not significant at 6, 12, and 24 h postoperatively. No significant differences were observed between the VAS scores of the two groups at 2, 6, 12, and 24 h postoperatively. Conclusions: Intraoperative low-dose ketamine did not have a preemptive analgesic effect and was not effective as an adjuvant to decrease opioid requirement or postoperative pain score in parturients receiving intravenous PCA with fentanyl after caesarean section.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2020

Background: Duloxetine is an antidepressant that is also useful in chronic neuropathic and central origin pain. In this study, the role of duloxetine in decreasing acute postoperative pain after lumbar canal stenosis surgery is explored. Methods: In this single center, triple blinded, and placebo-controlled trial, 96 patients were randomized for statistical analysis. The intervention group received oral duloxetine 30 mg once a day (OD) for 2 days before surgery, 60 mg OD from the day of surgery to the postoperative second day and 30 mg OD for the next 2 days (a total duration of 7 days). A placebo capsule was given in the other group for a similar time and schedule. The same standard perioperative analgesia protocols were followed in both groups. Results: Total morphine consumption up to 24 hours was significantly decreased in the duloxetine group (P < 0.01). The time to the first analgesia requirement was similar in both groups but the time to the second and third dose of rescue analgesia increased significantly in the duloxetine group. The time to ambulation was decreased significantly (P < 0.01) in the duloxetine group as compared to the placebo group. Pain scores remained similar during most of the time interval. No significant difference was observed in the complication rate and patient satisfaction score recorded. Conclusions: Duloxetine reduces postoperative pain after lumbar canal stenosis surgery with no increase in adverse effects.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.169-173
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• 2007

Background: Although the use of intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IVPCA) has been compared to the use of patient conrolled epidural analgesia (PCEA), there is no optimal administration route of alfentanil for the treatment of postoperative pain. This randomized double-blind study compared the efficacy of the use of IVPCA and PCEA for postoperative pain and the side effects after a total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH). Methods: Sixty patients undergoing a TAH were randomly assigned to receive either IVPCA (Group I) or PCEA (Group E) for the infusion of alfentanil for postoperative pain control. In both groups, a loading dose of $750{\mu}g$ alfentanil was administered. All patients received the same continuous infusion rate (0.3 mg/h), bolus dose (0.15 mg), and lockout time (15 min). The incidence of side effects, the VAS (visual analog scale) of pain, blood pressure, and heart rate were checked for 20 hours after the loading dose injection. Results: The VAS of pain was not significantly different between the two groups of patients. The onset of the analgesic effect was significantly more rapid in the Group I patients than in the Group E patients. There was no difference in side effects for either group. Conclusions: When considering multiple factors such as the onset of analgesia, technical difficulties or infection after the procedure, IVPCA using alfentanil is more useful than PCEA for postoperative pain control after a TAH.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.354-362
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• 1996

Background: We started postoperative pain management service using an intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA, PCA), which is known as convenient and effective analgesic method. In this report, we describe the efficacy and safety of PCA and the experience of developing an acute pain service to treat postoperative pain using a PCA. Methods: Practices of an acute pain service were started at a ward for general surgery after preparation of the standardized protocols for PCA. In each patient, PCA was connected following administration of initial loading doses of analgesics at recovery room after operation. All patients were checked by acute pain service team once or twice daily. The scope of acute pain service was gradually spread to other departments such as orthopedic, thoracic, obstetric and gynecologic departments by requests of patients or surgeons. We managed 1,590 patients during first 22 months. among them, nine hundred seventy two cases were prospectively evaluated for their analgesis efficacy and side effects of PCA. Results: The number of patients was increased day by day. the most common type of operation was gastrectomy (21.6%). Commonly used analgesics were nalbuphine (59%) and morphine (37%). The mean duration of PCA attachment was 3.3 days. The degree of analgesia on operation day was good in 44.8% and tolerable in 52.6% of patients. Only 3.9% of patients complained severe pain during their postoperative periods. One elderly patient experienced respiratory depression (0.06%) owing to accidental misuse of PCA by his relatives. Overall patient's satisfaction was over 93%. Conclusion: According to our experiences, we conclude that PCA is an effective, relatively safe and highly satisfactory method for postoperative pain management. Because of these advantages of PCA, the creation of our acute pain service using a PCA was successful and expanded rapidly.

• Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.141-146
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• 2015

Background: An understanding of the features of postoperative pain is essential for optimal analgesic dosing strategies. Using a visual analogue scale (VAS) score and patient controlled analgesia (PCA) infusion pattern analysis, an anesthesiologist can estimate when and how severely patients suffer from pain. Several reports have been published about circadian changes in the pain threshold. Postoperative pain was analyzed retrospectively in 250 patients who underwent orthognathic surgery. Methods: A total of 250 patients were allocated into two groups according to the time of recovery from anesthesia. Patients in the early group (group E) recovered from anesthesia before 06:00 p.m. Patients in the late group (group L) recovered from anesthesia after 06:00 p.m. All patients received intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IV PCA) at the end of the operation. The VAS score of pain intensity was measured. Self-administration of bolus analgesic from the IV PCA device was also analyzed according to actual time and elapsed time. Results: VAS scores showed no difference between the two groups except 36 hours after recovery from anesthesia. On POD1, there were two peaks for self-administration of bolus analgesics in group L and one peak in the morning for group E. Two peaks each in the morning and in the afternoon were shown in both groups on POD2. Conclusions: Diurnal variance in pain should be considered for effective dosing strategies.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.379-390
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• 2009

Purpose: The study was done to investigate the effect of ethanol inhalation on postoperative nausea in patients using Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA). Methods: The data were collected from June 1st 2006 to September 30th, 2007. The subjects were 70 patients who had had orthopedic surgery under general anesthesia. The levels of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to measure postoperative nausea. The experimental group was given ethanol inhalation using ethanol pads and the control group received normal saline pads. All participants were instructed to take two deep sniffs with the pad one inch from the nose. This was repeated every five minutes for three doses. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS/WIN 12.0 program. Results: The study supported all hypotheses. "The experimental group given first dose of ethanol inhalation would have a lower level postoperative nausea compared to the control group"(t = -5.900, p = .000). "The experimental group given second doses of ethanol inhalation would have a lower level postoperative nausea compared to the control group"(t = -7.507, p = .000). "The experimental group given third doses of ethanol inhalation would have a lower level postoperative nausea compared to the control group"(t = -6.685, p = .000). Conclusion: According to these results, the ethanol inhalation can be considered an effective nursing intervention for relieving the postoperative nausea in patients using PCA.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.54-59
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• 2017

Objective : Postoperative pain is one of the major complaints of patients after lumbar fusion surgery. The authors evaluated the effects of intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) using fentanyl or sufentanil on postoperative pain management and pain-related complications. Methods : Forty-two patients that had undergone surgery with lumbar instrumentation and fusion at single or double levels constituted the study cohort. Patients were equally and randomly allocated to a sufentanil group (group S) or a fentanyl group (group F) for patient controlled analgesia (PCA). Group S received sufentanil at a dose of $4{\mu}g/kg$ IV-PCA and group F received fentanyl $24{\mu}g/kg$ IV-PCA. A numeric rating scale (NRS) of postoperative pain was applied before surgery, and immediately and at 1, 6, and 24 hours (hrs) after surgery. Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores were obtained before surgery and one month after surgery. Opioid-related side effects were also evaluated. Results : No significant intergroup difference was observed in NRS or ODI scores at any of the above-mentioned time points. Side effects were more frequent in group F. More specifically, nausea, vomiting rates were significantly higher (p=0.04), but pruritus, hypotension, and headache rates were non-significantly different in the two groups. Conclusion : Sufentanil displayed no analgesic advantage over fentanyl postoperatively. However, sufentanil should be considerable for patients at high risk of GI issues, because it had lower postoperative nausea and vomiting rates than fentanyl.