Computer-controlled infusion of alfentanil versus patient-controlled administration of morphine for postoperative analgesia: a double-blind randomized trial

• HIT Description: Decision support and computerized medication dosing. More info...
  
• Purpose of Study: Evaluate a computer-controlled infusion of alfentanil for postoperative analgesia
  
• Years of study: Not Available
  
• Study Design: RCT
  
• Outcomes: Impact on patient safety, Impact on health care effectivness/quality
  

• Settings: Twenty patients undergoing orthopedic surgery participated in the study.
• Intervention: Computer-controlled infusion of alfentanil (CCiA) was compared to patient-controlled administration of morphine (PCAM) for postoperative analgesia.
• Evaluation Method: Measures of pain scores, number of valid demands, median performance error (MDPE), and median absolute performance error (MDAPE).
• Description: A CCi pump was used for the administration of alfentanil, and an Atari Portfolio computer was to a syringe pump (Ohmeda 9000) via a serial RS232 communication channel. The software was written in Pascal by one of the authors.
• Quality of Care and Patient Safety Outcome: The onset of satisfactory analgesia was faster (P < 0.05) in the CCiA group (median: 20 min) than in the PCAM group (median: 50 min). The total number of demands was lower (21 vs. 34, P < 0.05) and the time when the VAS score was > 3.0 was shorter (P < 0.05, 12% of the time) in the CCiA group than in the PCAM group (21% of the time). The MDPE and MDAPE were 8% and 22%, respectively.