Pain management in trauma surgery

Key Points

Effective pain management can significantly reduce chronic pain and aid healing, leading to shorter hospital stays.
By following the WHO analgesic ladder, healthcare professionals can provide analgesia while minimizing adverse effects from strong opioids.
Trauma patients can vary greatly, from healthy individuals to frail elderly, complicating pain management approaches.
Understanding the unique needs of polytrauma patients is crucial for effective care and pain management.

Abstract

Trauma patients range from healthy children and adults to frail elderly ones. Pain management in the elderly can be challenging as these patients often present with other co-morbidities. Polytrauma patients, delayed admissions, substance abuse and psychological issues may also result in complication of care. Appropriate pain management is a patient’s right. It also helps early healing, reduces chronic pain and can lead to a shorter hospital stay. Pain relief is based on the WHO analgesic ladder. This helps to prescribe analgesia in a stepwise fashion and in doing so prevents unwanted adverse effects from using strong opioids. excerpt

Pain management in trauma surgery

Key Points

Abstract

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