Retrospective evaluation of patient-controlled analgesia practices in a tertiary care hospital

Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) methods applied in a tertiary health care institution, the profiles of the practitioners and the patients involved, and the factors affecting the application process. Methods: The data of the patients who were administered patient-controlled analgesia in 2023 and 2024 were analyzed retrospectively. The demographic information of the patients, the types of PCA applications, in which clinics they started and for what purpose, who started the treatment, complications, reasons for termination, and duration of use were evaluated. Results: 52.5% of the 1,040 patients included in the analysis were female, with a mean age of 55.7±17.75 years. The most common PCA method was epidural (53.7%), and the clinic where it was applied the most frequently was the orthopedics clinic. The complication rate was low, and the most common complication was found to be nausea-vomiting. The duration of PCA use showed a significant difference according to the type of application, and the longest duration was observed in PCA applied with a peripheral nerve catheter (p<0.001). Epidural PCAs were mostly initiated by resident physicians, while PCAs applied with peripheral nerve catheters were initiated by academic staff. Conclusion: Patient-controlled analgesia is an effective and safe method in postoperative pain management. These retrospective findings provide important contributions to the evaluation and standardization of existing protocols.