PATIENT-CONTROLLED ANALGESIA (PCA) IN PEDIATRIC-SURGERY - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPIC AND OPEN APPENDECTOMY

Patient controlled analgesia (PCA) has not yet gained universal accept ance for the management of postoperative pain in paediatric surgery. I n a prospective study we evaluated feasibility and complications of PC A following 90 cases of laparoscopic or open appendicectomy. PCA prove d to be a safe and feasible method with few complications (2% of medic al complications, no abort of application, 17 technical checks in a to tal running time of 4125 h). Acceptance by patients was high and child ren of all age groups worked the system properly. Assessment of applic ation protocols showed, that the consumption of analgesics was signifi cantly reduced following laparoscopic appendicectomy (P < 0.05). PCA i s a safe and feasible method for the management of postoperative pain in children and PCA recording provides an excellent insight into the c onsumptional behaviour of patients, enabling staff to evaluate postope rative pain for various procedures.