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M AY 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
W
hen you send a patient home with a pain pump,
there's a lot that can go right and a lot that can
go wrong. Under the best circumstances, the
patient's pain will be minimized, and you won't
have to spend the next 3 days fielding phone
calls, dealing with complaints or troubleshooting.
But the potential for hassles makes some physicians reluctant to use
pumps, regardless of the potential benefit to patients. Like most peo-
ple, anesthesiologists, once they're finished in the OR, would prefer to
go home and not have to take any calls. They don't want to have to
deal with messages from patients saying, "My catheter's leaking" or
"My arm is numb, what can I do?"
It's a challenge for pump manufacturers, who are working to over-
come that reluctance (see "5 Pain Pump Options" on page 50). And
those manufacturers are also coming face-to-face with a relatively new
challenge, in the form of time-release single-shot blocks designed to
relieve pain for several days. Those, too, may discourage anesthesiolo-
gists and surgeons from using pumps, the rationale being: Why put
catheters in and deal with the potential post-op hassles when I can put
one block in and be done?
Flexibility of pumps
Even if a nerve block can last for 3 days — and the data isn't convinc-
ing yet — that's not always a positive thing. Inevitably, some patients
will call and say they hate the sensation of having an arm that feels
P A I N P U M P S
At-home pain relief without the headaches.
Glenn E. Woodworth, MD | Portland, Ore.
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