Control of postoperative pain. Nonnarcotic and narcotic alternatives and their effect on pulmonary function.

narcotics, have been utilized in the postoperative period in an attempt to provide adequate analgesia. Patients undergoing intrathoracic or intraabdominal procedures or both have been treated with intercostal block therapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stiinulation, or cryotherapy. Spinal narcotics and patientcontrolled narcotic analgesia have also been used to treat postoperative pain. Each ofthese techniques will be reviewed with special emphasis on their analgesic efficacy and their role in modifying postoperative pulmonary function.