PERIOPERATIVE AND POSTOPERATIVE PAIN THER APY WITH MECHANICAL, SINGLE-USE PCA-PUMPS IN GENERAL-SURGERY - AN INITIAL REPORT ON ITS APPLICATION

The patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) or ''on-demand analgesia'' is a pain-relieving therapy, which is regulated and monitored by the patie nt himself. Postoperative pain therapy is the main approach for PCA, w hich facilitates a long-term, individually controlled pain relief. In certain situations we use mechanical PCA-pumps filled with piritramid (Dipidolor) as an opioid-analgetic for reducing postoperative pain. Th is kind of therapy needs the acceptance and understanding of the patie nt as a main condition for the success. Beside an increase of patients ' comfort and patients' independence of analgetic demand from the medi cal staff a reduction in postoperative complications can he expected, the time of hospitalisation might be decreased.