Acta chirurgica Iugoslavica
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Despite advances in neurosurgical and neuroanesthesiological practice, postoperative pain continues to be undertreated. There are many modalities that may provide safe and effective postoperative analgesia. We discuss mainly systemic (e.g. opioids, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents) analgesic options. ⋯ Ideally, analgesics, sedatives and/or muscle relaxants should be combined into a multimodal approach to facilitate patient recovery after surgery. Although a great deal is known about specific drugs and dosage requirements, further research is needed that clearly examines optimal scheduling regimens if we are to maximize patient care. The most important rule of pain management is that pain is what the patient says it is.