J Am Acad Orthop Sur
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J Am Acad Orthop Sur · Jan 2012
The role of pain management in recovery following trauma and orthopaedic surgery.
War often serves as a catalyst for medical innovation and progressive change. The current conflicts are no exception, particularly in the area of pain management of wounded warriors. Morphine administration has served as the primary method of battlefield pain management since the American Civil War. ⋯ These side effects (eg, sedation, nausea and vomiting, ileus, respiratory depression) can be fatal to persons wounded in combat. This fact, along with recent research findings indicating that pain itself may constitute a disease process, points to the need for significant improvements in pain management in order to adequately address current battlefield realities. The US Army Pain Management Task Force evaluated pain medicine practices at 28 military and civilian institutions and provided several recommendations to enhance pain management in wounded warriors.