The nurse is caring for a patient receiving patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for pain management. Which statement about PCA is true?
A) The PCA pump can't infuse narcotics continuously.
B) Pain relief is initiated by the patient as needed.
C) No complications related to narcotic delivery by the pump exist.
D) The nurse prescribes the dosage of narcotic for delivery.
Ans: B
Feedback: The PCA pump allows for a continuous dose of the narcotic delivery and a demand dose initiated by the patient. PCA also prevents the patient from receiving an accidental overdose because of a programmed interval during which the pump can't be activated (usually 6 to 10 minutes). The patient may still experience complications of narcotic delivery. The physician, rather than the nurse, prescribes the narcotic dose.
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