Analgesia for acute pain

Abstract

Acute pain is known to every person universally, and the management of pain is one of the biggest industries in the world today. There are many and varied options to achieve analgesia, but if not used for the correct indication, if not initiated effectively, or if the intervention causes unacceptable side-effects, it can lead to suboptimal pain relief and potentially dire outcomes. Knowledge of the pathways involved in pain perception, and how these pathways can be targeted with various modalities is required to obtain adequate analgesia. This article provides an overview of the available evidence-based therapeutic options for acute pain management.