Efficacy of Patient-Administered Oral Analgesia after Elective Cesarean Section
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Abstract
Introduction: Oral analgesics are convenient to use and cost-effective. This study aims to compare the pain relief effects of self-administered oral analgesia versus nurse- controlled analgesia Methods: An observational study was conducted on postpartum women after cesarean section under spinal anesthesia and 0.2 mg intrathecal morphine. The study included a self-administered oral analgesia (SAOA) group and a nurse-controlled analgesia (NCA) group. The SAOA group received oral medications consisting of 500 mg paracetamol, 50 mg tramadol, and 10 mg morphine, taken one tablet every hour as needed. The NCA group received 50 mg tramadol intravenously every 6 hours as needed. Results: A total of 80 participants were included, with 39 in the SAOA group and 41 in the NCA group. The characteristics of the two groups showed no significant differences in the education level and surgical procedure. Pain scores at rest and on movement were lower in the SAOA group compared to the NCA group, though not clinically significant. Paracetamol was the most frequently used medication, followed by tramadol and morphine in the SAOA group. Side effects differed between the groups: dizziness was more common in the SAOA group, whereas nausea was more frequent in the NCA group. However, the satisfaction levels between the groups did not differ significantly. Conclusion: Self-administered oral analgesia provided pain relief and patient satisfaction comparable with nurse-controlled analgesia. The most common side effect observed was dizziness.
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