Are You Looking For The Postoperative Pain Relief?
When you are looking for postoperative pain relief, you will find that this is a challenge in spite of the advancement of technology and the availability of excellent analgesic drugs. Efforts are put in continuously to find out and apply new methods for postoperative pain relief, but the results are still far from perfect.
What Is Acute Pain Service?
The acute pain service, or APS, was established in the USA more than two decades ago, in the 80s, with the mission of improving postoperative pain relief. The intensive attention paid to postoperative pain has shown excellent results, but the expenses have almost trebled. The basic components of APS are given below:
1. There would be highly qualified personnel available round the clock solely for administering APS
2. A continuous assessment of pain during rest time and activity time and this assessment analyzed and improved upon
3. Total standardization of all equipment, prescription guidelines and assessment charts for easy comprehension
4. Establishing and promoting active cooperation between doctors and nurses
5. Helping the patient understand the effort of postoperative pain relief and providing education on what the treatment options are and what the side effects would be, if any.
6. Endeavor to use optimally all the pain management tools available, as well as application of the latest research findings in the field of APS
In spite of the APS code, postoperative pain relief is still elusive in many advanced hospitals, where the success of the surgery is taken as the last level of medical intervention.
As a result of the efforts to promote APS today, pain has been accepted and is treated in many hospitals as the fifth vital sign (in ICU) that requires the same intensive attention as the other four vital signs. The APS code looks promising and it could be, that in time, postoperative pain would be fully controlled through this effort.
