The amount of drug that is self-administered by the patient each time he or she activates a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)device is known as the:

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The amount of drug that the patient self-administers each time he or she activates a PCA device is called the demand dose. It is the dose that meets the patient's demand for pain relief. The loading dose is the initial dose given to achieve therapeutic concentrations quickly. The background infusion rate is a continuous rate of medication that is given in addition to the demand dose. The minimal and maximal dose rates are the lowest and highest limits of doses that can be programmed into the device, respectively.

The Amount of Drug That Is Self-Administered by the Patient