Clinics in podiatric medicine and surgery
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Surgery is a circumstance in which we know that we will cause pain. Although most of our perioperative pain management interventions are symptomatic, several strategies can reduce and even prevent pain in the perioperative setting. Because the physiologic mechanisms of postoperative pain are understood, it is possible to interrupt these mechanisms before the patient actually becomes symptomatic. This article reviews the literature and presents these strategies with the hope of implementation of the readers.
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Unfortunately, many physicians and patients only seek pharmacologic treatments to aid in pain relief; however, many nonpharmacologic interventions exist with excellent potential for pain treatment. This article reviews several of these strategies with an emphasis on clinical indications and expected outcomes. The topics of chronic pain psychology and prescription writing also are reviewed. As a medical provider, it is important to remain open minded to alternative approaches to pain control.
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Clin Podiatr Med Surg · Jul 2008
ReviewPost-operative pain management using patient-controlled analgesia.
Patient-controlled analgesia is an effective form of postoperative pain management for select lower extremity orthopedic procedures in the in-patient setting. The goal of this article is to present an introduction to the prescription and management of patient-controlled analgesia in the acute, postoperative setting. The surgeon should have a thorough understanding of this intervention as it relates to pain control and overall patient care.