The Nursing clinics of North America
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The wide variety of techniques and rapidly developing complex technologies currently available for managing pain, as well as the multidimensional nature of cancer pain, require that a multidisciplinary approach to treatment be used in virtually all health care settings. Members of each health care discipline have unique and very important contributions to make to the care of patients with cancer pain. This critical fact has only recently been recognized and incorporated into the management of persons with pain in inpatient, outpatient, and home settings. The development and refinement of multidisciplinary teams, coupled with the use of the most current and effective therapeutic interventions available, should result in better care of and quality of life for patients with cancer pain.
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Technologic innovations have led to the development of new delivery systems in pain management. Prolonged-release morphine, implanted reservoirs, and external and internal infusion pumps are now employed to improve pain management techniques. These advances have allowed entry to previously inaccessible or difficult-to-enter sites such as the intravenous, subcutaneous, epidural, intrathecal, and intraventricular routes. ⋯ Future innovations will lead to further advances in pain management techniques. As integral members of the health care team, nurses must be involved in the clinical research and evaluation of these new therapies. Advanced technology and supportive nursing care can then be united to ensure optimal pain control for our patients.