Patient-controlled analgesia

Topic: Pharmacology

A programmable infusion pump that lets the client give themselves small preset doses of an analgesic, usually an opioid, by pressing a button, within a lockout interval and dose limits set by the prescriber; it gives steadier pain control and a sense of control. Only the client may press the button: family members or staff pressing it (PCA by proxy) can cause oversedation. Assess pain, sedation level, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation regularly, have a second nurse check the pump settings, keep naloxone available, and teach the client how to use it.

Also known as:

PCA, PCA pump

In Turkish:

Hasta kontrollü analjezi