J Wenrich | PubMed Health

PubMed1994

Epidural diet regimen.

Continuous quality improvement presents many avenues for change. We decided to evaluate the number of complaints of nausea and vomiting from patients receiving preservative-free (PF) epidural morphine reinjections. A systematic study of this problem involved a survey of all patients receiving epidural pain management. Staff from the Department of Anesthesia and pain management nurses monitored the results, and after 2 months recommendations were made to change the diet of these patients for the first 24-hour postoperative period. Only those patients who received PF epidural morphine reinjections had problems with nausea and vomiting. Therefore, only these patients were started on the epidural diet regimen. After several modifications of the diet, we found that there were 80% less complaints of nausea and vomiting in patients adhering to this diet plan while receiving PF epidural morphine.

Analgesia, Epidural↗

PubMed1991

Acute pain service in a community hospital.

A fundamental challenge in the medical community is to manage postoperative/acute pain both effectively and adequately. The stress response cycle must be incorporated and adverse physiological effects, resulting complications, and prolonged hospital stays must be documented. The inadequacies of traditional method of pain management are compared with new technology using patient-controlled analgesia and epidural opioids. Setting up an acute pain service and training, and certification of the nurses, who are managed by the Anesthesia Department, are described. This type of program is best coordinated by the PACU. The value of marketing this service to physicians and the community will reap immeasurable rewards.

Analgesia, Patient-Controlled↗