A Disposable Device for Patient-Controlled Intravenous Analgesia: Evaluation by Patients, Nursing and Medical Staff.

Purpose of the study: To evaluate the acceptability of a disposable patient-controlled intravenous analgesia (PCIA) device (Go Medical Industries, Subiaco, Western Australia) by questionnaire. Methods: Institution ethical approval was obtained. Twenty female patients requiring post operative intravenous analgesia for open abdominal surgery were prospectively recruited. Fifty members of the nursing staff and 15 anaesthesia personnel who were familiar with the device were also asked to complete a questionnaire. Data were entered onto a spreadsheet (Microsoft Excel 2002) and the findings analysed by an independent biostatistician. Results: Completed questionnaires were received from 20 patients (response rate 100%); 11 anaesthetists (73%) and 41 nurses (82%). Satisfaction with the device was high, with 50% of medical staff having a satisfaction score of 80 or more and 50% of patients and nursing staff a satisfaction score of 90 or more. Patients gave median scores of 10 (0–10 scale) for “ease of use” and “willingness to use again.” Features most liked were portability and ease of use (reported by 73% and 46% of anaesthetists and 44% and 27% of nurses). Anaesthetists most disliked equipment failure and lack of tamper proofing (55% and 36% respectively) and nurses lack of reliability, slow filling and difficulty assembling (all 12%). Conclusions: The Go Medical PCIA device provides a lightweight portable option for post operative patient controlled analgesia. It is simple to use, is associated with high staff and patient satisfaction, but has some limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]