In hospitals, if morphine pumps can be controlled by the patient, can't they accidentally overdose?

Question

It just seems dangerous, but I guess I've never heard anything in the news about that happening.

Answer 1

The machines are very reliable. Note that there's a "lockout", so the patient can push the button every ten seconds if he wishes, but the morphine is going to be delivered only at a small dose (usually on the order of 2 mg) no more often than programmed, perhaps every ten or fifteen minutes, and the overall dose over several hours also has a maximum that can be set lower than would be the case if the routine setting were used to its maximum.

Answer 2

Yea they have metered doses. For an example if you can have 1 dose every 3hrs, and you take your 1st dose at 1pm, the machine will lock until the 3 hours are up. If the patient complains of being in too much pain, the nurse can ask the doctor to increase the frequency or amount or change medications, as long as it is safe for the patient.

edit- They available on other floors, not just intensive care units.

Answer 3

Basically, to reiterate what has been said, you can't overdose unless the pump has been set incorrectly.

But, and this is important, it is important to use it if you are in pain. The newest research is that if you let pain continue, it trains trains the brain to be in pain and makes recovery slower.

Although real, the risk of addiction for people in intense pain is far less of a risk than the harm that prolonged pain can cause the body. When you are in pain, opiates give relief, not pleasure. When used properly, there is little risk of addiction, and if addiction does occur, it is often the lesser of two evils. [In this respect, House (the TV show) is quite accurate.]

So, don't be afraid to use as much pain medication as the doctor says you may have; the pain you relieve may be pain years from now.

Answer 4

The patient does control when they recieve morphine, but the machine that gives it to them prevents overdose from happening. If you give yourself a dose, the machine won't let you give yourself another for ten minutes. The morphine is probably being given in low dosage, so that would also prevent you from OD'ing.

Answer 5

Theoretically, yes. But since the pump only gives relatively small, measured doses, the patient will just get too drowsy to keep pushing the button. Most units also have an upper limit (set by the doctor) on how much they will give over a certain time period.

Answer 6

No, the pump is pre set by they physician to allow a maximun amount that can be given in a certain period of time. They work well for serious pain, but try to use as little apossible as it is addictive. Short term use is fine, and use it so the patient stays comfortable and the pain is manageable.

Answer 7

No. They're programmed to allow a maximum amount of the drug over a set amount of time.

You can use as much or as little as you like (within parameters determined mostly by your weight), and you can spread the dose out, but you can't overdose.

Answer 8

There are set by the doctors that you'll only get just so much Morphine in a certian time period. If you don't need it then you just don't press the button and you don't get any.

Answer 9

patient-controlled analgesia pumps prone to misprogramming resulting in narcotic overinfusions there have been some cases of overdose

Answer 10

It is infrequent, but possible. The are in intensive care, and watched closely. I have been on one, but used it sparsely as I did not want addiction.