Pain management in the ambulatory surgical population

Effective postoperative analgesia is a fundamental goal of patient management in the ambulatory surgery setting. There is a physiologic, psychological, and economic cost to unrelieved pain in the postoperative patient. Understanding (1) the individual experience of pain, (2) common barriers to effective pain management, (3) the concept of balanced analgesia, (4) the types and modes of action of various analgesics available to the ambulatory population, and (5) the importance of thorough and organized means of pain assessment will help the perianesthesia nurse optimize analgesia for the postoperative patient. Severe postoperative pain continues to be a problem in ambulatory patients once they are discharged to the home environment. This article looks at fundamental concepts in pain management and integrates these ideas into a comprehensive strategy for the management of postoperative pain in the ambulatory patient.