Patient-controlled analgesia using butorphanol for postoperative pain relief: an open-label study.

Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) has been studied extensively for the treatment of postoperative pain using narcotic analgesics. Butorphanol, a nonnarcotic injectable analgesic, has not previously been investigated using this drug delivery mechanism. Twenty-five patients undergoing general abdominal surgery and general anesthesia used a PCA device with butorphanol as the analgesic agent. Most patients (84%) were able to obtain excellent postoperative pain relief. The role of butorphanol in the management of postoperative pain should be expanded to include patient-controlled drug delivery.