Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 10, 2026

Acupoint Needle-Embedding Combined with Ironing Therapy for Postoperative Pain After Anal Surgery
Published on: June 23, 2023
An unexpected benefit of pre-emptive rectal analgesic administration: the "key" to postoperative analgesia
1Department of Anesthesiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ont. parlowj@post.queensu.ca
Abstract:
Analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs are frequently administered intraoperatively by the rectal route to provide pre-emptive postoperative analgesia. We report the case of an inmate of a federal penitentiary who underwent orthopedic surgery in a public hospital. After induction of general anesthesia, indomethacin and acetaminophen were administered rectally. This led to the incidental discovery of a handcuff key hidden in the rectum and, thereby, the prevention of a planned escape. A review of data regarding escapes by prisoners from public hospitals is provided, as well as a description of cases of patients presenting with foreign rectal objects. A number of benefits have been described for the use of pre-emptive analgesia. This is the first reported description of an incidental benefit: the prevention of a planned escape by a prison inmate.
Related Concept Videos
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
Analgesia and Pain Management
Endoscopic Procedures IV: Sigmoidoscopy and Laproscopy
Sigmoidoscopy
Sigmoidoscopy is a diagnostic procedure that uses a flexible sigmoidoscope equipped with a light source and camera to examine the rectum and sigmoid colon. The procedure involves inserting the tube through the anus...
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Peripheral Artery Disease V: Postoperative Nursing Management