[Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) in postop pain management in scoliosis surgery]

PCA method for postoperative pain management in scoliosis surgery is presented. If the child is capable of understanding the principle of its application and able to perform it the efficacy and safety of PCA depends on pump programming in regard of the single dose and time between doses. PCA has been used in 16 patients aged 11-16 years after C-D surgery for idiopathic scoliosis. Children with vital lung capacity below 50% of the normal value were excluded from this study. Single dose of morphine was between 0.015 to 0.03 mgkg body mass. Minimum time between the doses was 10-20 minutes. In all cases PCA resulted in satisfactory postoperative pain control.