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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 | S U P P L E M E N T T O 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 handled properly, there's
no doubt pain pumps make the
first few days after surgery
much more bearable and dra-
matically increase patient sat-
P A I N P U M P S A F E T Y
Pump Up Your Pain
Pump Knowledge
How much do you know about the
potential for post-op complications?
Gregory Hickman, MD | Gulf Breeze, Fla.
FLOW OF IDEAS Education is one of the most
important components of pain pump safety.
Brian
O'Doherty
isfaction. But issues can
arise when patients are
sent home with the pain-
relieving aids. How much
do you know about the
benefits and potential
complications associated
with pumps? Take this
quiz to find out.
If a pain pump
doesn't have a
bolus, patients
can't deal with
break-through
pain.
a
. true
b
. false
Answer:
b
A bolus may be the ideal
way to manage break-
through pain, but pumps
with boluses are also
more expensive. The
pump we use doesn't
have a bolus, but it lets
patients control the rate
of infusion. I start my
patients at 4 ccs an hour,
but the pump goes up to