Overview

A patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump contains your pain medicine. Usually that medicine is morphine, but other pain medicines are sometimes used. Medicine flows from the pump through a tube with a needle on the end (called an I.V.) into your body. You press a button when you feel pain, and the pump gives you a dose of medicine. Your doctor sets the dose. You cannot give yourself too much medicine because the pump will be set to prevent that.

How can you care for yourself at home?

• You should be the only one who presses the button to give yourself more pain medicine. Don't allow family members and friends to do this for you. If you're too sleepy to press the button yourself, you don't need more medicine in your body.
• To avoid infection, try not to touch the area around the needle (called the I.V. site). Try to keep the area dry.
• Some prescription pain medicines can cause constipation, which may become severe. Talk to your doctor before you use any type of laxative to prevent or treat constipation.