New techniques in postoperative analgesia

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Although it may seem alarming to allow a patient who is recovering from surgery to administer his or her own intravenous narcotic analgesic, self-administration is effective and safe. Surprisingly enough, less medication is usually needed with safeguarded patient-controlled methods than with traditional intramuscular injection. Dr Dubois discusses this method as well as several others now being used for the treatment of acute postoperative pain.