Anesthesia Knowledge Test 24 (AKT-24) Practice

The main drawbacks of patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) compared to nurse-administered medications can indeed include higher rates of pruritus and increased opioid consumption.

In PCA, patients have the autonomy to self-administer their analgesics within prescribed limits, which can sometimes lead to higher overall opioid usage compared to a more controlled administration by nursing staff. This self-administration can result in the overuse of opioids if patients misinterpret their pain or the need for medication. Furthermore, the use of opioids is often associated with side effects such as pruritus, a common experience reported by patients engaging in self-administered opioid therapy.

PCA can allow for greater analgesic control, but this increased patient freedom may inadvertently lead to higher side effects, including pruritus, because patients might use more medication due to accessibility. It captures concerns regarding opioid-related side effects while highlighting how PCA can lead to a different profile of patient experiences compared to traditional nursing-given medication strategies.