Acute pain service in a community hospital

A fundamental challenge in the medical community is to manage postoperative/acute pain both effectively and adequately. The stress response cycle must be incorporated and adverse physiological effects, resulting complications, and prolonged hospital stays must be documented. The inadequacies of traditional method of pain management are compared with new technology using patient-controlled analgesia and epidural opioids. Setting up an acute pain service and training, and certification of the nurses, who are managed by the Anesthesia Department, are described. This type of program is best coordinated by the PACU. The value of marketing this service to physicians and the community will reap immeasurable rewards.