Audit of complications in post-operative epidural analgesia and adherence to acute pain service protocols at an Indian cancer center.

An audit of epidural anesthesia in an Indian teaching hospital is described. The authors reviewed Acute Pain Service (APS) documentation of epidural anesthesia and outcomes form the procedure over a 6-month period. Variances from established protocols were noted and reasons for these variances are discussed.

Nausea and vomiting after breast cancer surgery, and relationship with tumor receptor status.

Background: Breast surgery is associated with frequent post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV). Studies have suggested that hormonal status affects PONV. Estrogen has been implicated in many emetic syndromes.

Patient controlled analgesia: redefining its role in an Indian cancer hospital.

This report describes a noninterventional audit of current patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) use in an Indian cancer hospital over a 1-year period. Because there appeared to be an underutilization of PCA in the authors' hospital, they performed this audit. A major reason to start PCA was inadequate analgesia despite ongoing epidural or standard PRN analgesic regimes, especially in thoracic, major abdominal, and pelvic bone surgeries.