Managing acute pain safely and effectively

The Clinical Services Journal reports on The Manchester and Salford Pain Centre’s experiences with PCA in the inpatient setting.

Known as a centre of excellence for pain management, The Manchester and Salford Pain Centre amalgamates the management of pain for inpatient and outpatient activity, treating both acute and chronic pain – services which in many Trusts across the country are separate. Martin Howarth, a specialist acute pain nurse, has worked at the clinic since 2001. He explained more about how the centre operates. “We take a multidisciplinary team approach to pain management, both acute and chronic. The team includes pain consultants, psychologists, physiotherapists and nurses. We serve the local community as well as taking tertiary referrals from across the country.” The pain team also offers a preoperative service. Martin Howarth explained: “There is a system in place which allows us to highlight preoperatively, surgical patients who may benefit from pain management postoperatively. “We have created an electronic form which allows nurses to flag up patients who may benefit from our pain management service. This could include patients who have had previous difficulties in hospital; those with a chronic pain background, that could affect their ability to deal with pain; and patients who may already be taking significant analgesic medication – which will affect their pain management post-operatively. The electronic form also allows pre-operative nurses to highlight to us any patients who may be demonstrating significant anxiety about their post-operative pain management.” The inpatient pain team also helps many cancer patients, in collaboration with the palliative care team. Martin Howarth explained: “We will initially see patients with a diagnosis of cancer when they come for an operation and we then liase with the palliative care team to offer ongoing pain management support for the patient throughout their care pathway.”

 Reduction in crisis calls