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Author Spotlight: Quantifying Pain Experience – An Illustrative Approach Using the Pain Body Diagram
Published on: July 7, 2023
A survey of acute pain service in Canadian teaching hospitals
Qutaiba A Tawfic1, Alexander Freytag2, Kevin Armstrong3
1Western University, London Health Science Centre, University Hospital, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, London, Canada.
Background:
The first national survey to ascertain the prevalence, structure, and functioning of the APS in Canadian university affiliated hospitals was conducted in 1991. This is a follow-up survey to assess the current status of the APS in Canada.
Methods:
We requested completion of a 26-question survey from lead personnel of the APS teams or Anesthesia departments of Canadian teaching hospitals.
Results:
Among the 32 centers that were contacted, 21 (65.6%) responded. Of these respondents, 18 (85.7%) indicated that they have a structured APS (72.22% adults, 5.56% pediatrics, 22.22% mixed). Among the 18 centers with an APS, 16 of the services are led by an anesthesiologist. Eight centers (44.44%) have a regional anesthesia group, of which five (27.75%) have a regional anesthesia group that is distinct from the APS team. Nine centers (50%) offer ambulatory nerve catheter analgesia after discharge home. Fifteen centers (83.33%) use standardized order sets, and 13 centers (72.22%) use an electronic record for APS. More than 50% of the centers use intravenous lidocaine and ketamine as a part of their multimodal analgesia.
Conclusion:
Most Canadian teaching hospitals do have a functioning APS. This survey has the potential to generate research questions about the availability of standardized and advanced acute pain management in Canada's teaching hospitals.
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