Acute Pain Management

Clinical Description

Many preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative interventions and management strategies are available for reducing and managing postoperative pain. Control of postoperative pain plays an essential role in facilitating a patient’s recovery to normal function and reduces the incidence of adverse physiologic and psychological effects associated with acute, uncontrolled pain. Multimodal anaesthesia must be used incorporating regional, pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods.

Cesarean Section Regional: Spinal

Pharmacological: NSAIDS, Opiods, Paracetamol

Laparotomy Regional: TAP block, epidural

Pharmacological: opioid, NSAID, Ketamine (IV), Dexamethasone, Paracetamol

Orthopedic Opioid (IV), Paracetamol IV, NSAID, Regional block (depending on site of surgery e.g spinal, femoral block,)

Minor surgery Assessment (refer to palliative care section on pain