The experience of pain after an operation is very different for everyone and only you know how much it hurts; so do not be afraid of being honest about the amount of pain you are feeling.
What is Patient Controlled Analgesia?
Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) is one way of controlling your pain. 'Patient Control' means that you choose when you want to receive a dose of pain killer depending on the amount of pain that you are feeling. This means that you get your painkillers as you need them and you don't have to wait for the nurse to bring you an injection. It also spares you the discomfort of having regular injections.
How do I receive the pain killing drug?
You will be given a handset which will be kept next to you at all times. This handset has a button on it which when pressed will tell the Patient Controlled Analgesia pump to give you a dose of the pain killer through the intravenous drip in your arm.
How often should I press the button?
Whenever you feel pain. Don't be afraid to press the button as often as you feel you need to. The aim is to keep as comfortable as possible so that you can cough, take deep breaths and move around easily.
What if I am still in pain?
A member of staff will check regularly to see if the pain killers are working. It is important that you let them know if you are still in pain. It may be possible to give you extra painkillers that will make you feel more comfortable.
Is PCA safe? Could I overdose myself?
Patient Controlled Analgesia is very safe. The machine is preset to give you a safe dose. Once you press the button and get a dose of the pain killer the machine automatically locks itself for about 5 minutes. This is called the 'Lock out time' and means that even if you continue to press the button you cannot get another dose of painkiller until the 'lock out time' has finished. This 'Lock out time' gives you time to see if the pain killer is working and helps to prevent you from overdosing yourself.
Are there any side effects?
The most common side effects for some patients are drowsiness, sickness and itching. It is important that you carry on using the pain killers so tell the staff if you feel any of these. They can give you other drugs that will help to stop the side effects of the pain killers.
Can I become addicted to the pain killers?
When given for pain relief, even if given for long periods of time, people don't get addicted to their pain killers. You should only need to use the Patient Controlled Analgesia for a relatively short period of time so addiction is highly unlikely and extremely rare.
You can download an expanded version of this page in an acrobat format:
PCAInfo.pdf
