The efficacy of elastomeric patient-control module when connected to a balloon pump for postoperative epidural analgesia: A randomized, noninferiority trial.

When considering the principles of a pain control strategy by patients, reliable administration of additional bolus doses is important for providing the adequate analgesia and improving patient satisfaction. We compared the efficacy of elastomeric patient-control module (PCM) with conventional PCM providing epidural analgesia postoperatively.A noninferiority comparison was used. Eighty-six patients scheduled for open upper abdominal surgery were randomized to use either an elastomeric or conventional PCM connected to balloon pump. After successful epidural catheter insertion at T6-8 level, fentanyl (15-20 μg/kg) in 0.3% ropivacaine 100 mL was administered at basal rate 2 mL/h with bolus 2 mL and lock-out time 15 minutes. The primary outcome was the verbal numerical rating score for pain.The 95% confidence intervals for differences in pain scores during the first 48 hours postoperatively were <1, indicating noninferiority of the elastomeric PCM. The duration of pump reservoir exhaustion was shorter for the elastomeric PCM (mean [SD], 33 hours [8 hours] vs 40 hours [8 hours], P = 0.0003). There were no differences in the frequency of PCM use, additional analgesics, or adverse events between groups.The elastomeric PCM was as effective as conventional PCM with and exhibited a similar safety profile.