A P R I L 2 0 1 7 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 3 1
Elkassabany, MD, MSCE, an
assistant professor and the
director of orthopedic anesthe-
siology at the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia,
Pa. That benefit cuts both
ways: You can use the data
that smart pain pumps collect
to measure your anesthesia
team's performance. Smart,
indeed.
Dialing up data
Dr. Elkassabany has seen his pain control program evolve from the use of elas-
tomeric pumps to computerized models with the capability to deliver a more
exact infusion rate of local anesthetic. "The plus-minus range around the intend-
ed amount becomes very narrow, which helps a lot," he says. "If a patient is also
able to self-administer medication boluses during a time specified by providers,
overall pain control is much more effective and satisfaction scores increase."
The first 72 hours are the most critical for pain control, says Dr.
Elkassabany. "If we're able to get patients comfortably through that period,
we're providing them with a great service," he says. You can program some
of the newest pain pumps to delay the onset of anesthetic, so the first dose
is delivered around the time when the local block is wearing off and the
overall pain control period is extended. But Dr. Elkassabany says not all of a
pump's bells and whistles are needed, and prefers to send patients home
with a device that's already in action. "It's reassuring to see that it's deliver-
ing local anesthetic before patients are discharged," he says. "It's much more
difficult to troubleshoot malfunctioning pumps when patients aren't in the
facility."
• OUT AND ABOUT Pain pumps extend the analgesic benefits of regional anesthesia
beyond your facility's walls.
Nabil
Elkassabany,
MD,
MSCE
