Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. · Feb 1994
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialPatient-controlled analgesia: a comparison of dosing regimens for acute postsurgical pain.
This study compares several dosing regimens for patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in the management of acute maxillofacial surgical pain. The dosing methods differed by presence or absence of an active drug (morphine [MS] vs saline), presence of a baseline infusion, and dose of drug delivered. Sixty-eight patients were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that lasted 24 hours. ⋯ This study calls into question the usefulness of PCA with MS in maxillofacial surgery patients. Pain control was questionable at best, and the rate of emesis was unacceptably high in patients with potentially compromised airways. Further research is required to determine if other analgesics provide better pain control with less nausea in the PCA system or if antiemetics can effectively be used to lower the incidence of nausea and vomiting.