[Analgesics: their role in current therapeutics]

The management of pain has been much developing for the last ten years in French medicine, particularly in O.R.L. It is a well-known fact that all pains are not identical and it is essential to differentiate them well. According to the kind of pain (acute pain, pain induced by a cancer, chronic pain), the attitude to be adopted may be quite different. Therefore, it is essential to master the pharmacology of these analgesic drugs. The aim of this paper is to review the current and everlasting knowledge of these drugs. We shall tackle the latest data concerning the mechanisms of action of analgesics and specify the practical use of morphinic compounds in 1996 and quote the means used in the pain treatment by deafferentation. In conclusion, it seems important to us to bring to mind the consequences of a misuse of analgesics.