British journal of anaesthesia
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Optimal treatment for acute pain is a function of an individual's willingness to make trade-offs between treatment side effects and pain control. The objective was to investigate the degree to which patients are willing to make these trade-offs. ⋯ We conclude that people have different relative preferences for different side effects and are willing to trade-off pain relief for less upsetting and/or less severe side effects but to different degrees. Thus, physicians should consider offering pain medications with fewer side effects than narcotics as a first choice. Our study indicates the need to balance analgesia and side effects in order for patients to achieve optimal pain control.
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Multicenter Study
Rhetoric and reality on acute pain services in the UK: a national postal questionnaire survey.
The study aimed to explore the extent to which NHS acute pain services (APSs) have been established in accordance with national guidance, and to assess the degree to which clinicians in acute pain management believe that these services are fulfilling their role. ⋯ More than a decade since the 1990 report Pain after Surgery, national coverage of comprehensive acute pain services is still far from being achieved. Despite wide consensus about the problems, concrete solutions are proving hard to implement. There is strong support for a two-fold response: securing greater political commitment to pain services and using organizational approaches to address current deficits.