Postoperative pain

This chapter begins with a list of pain principles. It goes on to describe misunderstandings about pain and guidelines are given for diagnosing non-surgical causes of pain, such as myocardial ischaemia. Gauging the severity of pain and using pain scales are explained as well as the use of an acute pain service. Different techniques are described for assessing pain in different groups including the elderly, neonates, and the mentally impaired. Pre-emptive analgesia and multimodal analgesia are discussed. Suggestions for looking after patients with nerve blocks and day surgery patients are offered.