Articles: pain-management-methods.
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Comparative Study
Using elastomeric infusion pumps for traumatic rib fracture pain.
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Hospital practice (1995) · Feb 2012
Evaluating therapeutic benefit in postsurgical analgesia requires global assessment: an example from liposome bupivacaine in hemorrhoidectomy.
Interpreting analgesic efficacy based solely on measures of pain intensity can be misleading. Here, we use data from an adult hemorrhoidectomy study to demonstrate the importance of evaluating pain intensity scores with other outcome measures in interpreting analgesic study results. ⋯ Liposome bupivacaine produced superior analgesia when compared with placebo at early postoperative time points, but appropriate use of rescue medication diminished this effect after 12 hours. However, based on our assessment of multiple outcome measures used in the study, it appears that the therapeutic benefit associated with the tested analgesic lasted throughout the 72-hour study period.
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J Am Acad Nurse Pract · Feb 2012
Older adult osteoarthritis pain management: results from the 2008 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.
To describe practitioners' prescription of recommended initial osteoarthritis (OA) pain treatments for older adults. ⋯ Referral to a rheumatologist or pain management specialist should be considered when pain intensity and/or pain interference with daily activities remains moderate or greater.
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Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) is an effective treatment option for reducing pain, but PCA errors can be quite serious. Opioid analgesics are among the most effective pain relievers available, but all have contraindications and can have adverse effects, including respiratory depression and other effects on the central nervous system. ⋯ Errors associated with the PCA process have been documented in each phase of the medication-use process; therefore, practice improvements in prescribing, transcribing, dispensing, administering, and monitoring PCA may reduce the likelihood of errors. Perioperative nurses can make important contributions to safe PCA use by establishing standardized processes to help ensure positive patient outcomes in pain management.