A pilot study of pain management during rehabilitation for hip and knee arthroplasty

{\it

} To evaluate the efficacy of pain management in a clinical pathway for rehabilitation after hip and knee arthroplasty, in which scheduled medications are rapidly tapered and prn medications are continued throughout the inpatient stay. {\it

} A prospective cross-sectional study. {\it

} General rehabilitation unit of a regional acute rehabilitation center. {\it

} Twenty-nine patients admitted consecutively to the rehabilitation unit in three months. {\it

} Number of pills/day of prn pain medication, pain scores at admission and discharge, frequency of constipation and nausea, Functional Independence Measure (FIM) gain, and length of stay (LOS). {\it

} For all patients, prn pain medication use was 2.4 pills/day/patient; the mean FIM gain was 22.1; and the average LOS was 9.8 days. In comparison to the Vicodin group, patients on Darvocet N-100 had significantly fewer requests for prn pain medication each day (3.1 vs. 1.1, p < 0.01), significantly better FIM gains better (18.9 vs. 24.1, p < 0.05), and fewer side effects (nausea and constipation). {\it

} Choosing the right pain medication is imperative for achieving optimal efficiency in clinical pathways for orthopedic rehabilitation. In this pilot study, Darvocet N-100 is the preferred narcotic over codeine and its derivatives.