The pharmacology of acute pain

Multimodal analgesia is the cornerstone of acute pain management. Paracetamol and NSAIDs provide background analgesia to which opioids and or adjuvant analgesics can be added, once the cause of pain is identified. Although simple analgesics have fixed-dose regimens, individual patient titration of opioids is essential. Dispelling opioid myths is fundamental to achieving this. Different routes of administration should not affect the level of analgesia achieved. Prompt recognition and treatment of side-effects helps to optimise pain management.