PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Joel L. Parlow
TI  - An unexpected benefit of pre-emptive rectal analgesic administration: the “key” to postoperative analgesia
DP  - 2000 Dec 12
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 1576--1577
VI  - 163
IP  - 12
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/163/12/1576.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/163/12/1576.full
SO  - CMAJ2000 Dec 12; 163
AB  - ANALGESIC AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS are frequently administered intraoperatively by the rectal route to provide pre-emptive postoperative analgesia. We report the case of an inmate of a federal penitentiary who underwent orthopedic surgery in a public hospital. After induction of general anesthesia, indomethacin and acetaminophen were administered rectally. This led to the incidental discovery of a handcuff key hidden in the rectum and, thereby, the prevention of a planned escape. A review of data regarding escapes by prisoners from public hospitals is provided, as well as a description of cases of patients presenting with foreign rectal objects. A number of benefits have been described for the use of pre-emptive analgesia. This is the first reported description of an incidental benefit: the prevention of a planned escape by a prison inmate.