Archive > January, 2012 XIII, No. 1
Can We Eliminate Narcotics?
The effective use of non-opioid alternatives can keep your patients more comfortable in PACU.
David Bernard, Senior Associate Editor
Category:
One of the chief components of efficient ambulatory surgery is rapid patient recovery and discharge. One way to facilitate this effect is through avoiding the use of opioids in treating patients' post-operative pain. While it may not be practical or even possible to eliminate narcotics from your post-op pain management regimen, the perioperative use of such alternatives as regional anesthesia techniques, continuous local anesthesia infusion pumps and non-opioid intravenous analgesics (see "What's New in Non-Opioid IV Analgesics" on page 21) can go a long way toward reducing complications in PACU and sending patients home comfortably.
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