title: A word of caution in acute pain management.
abstract: Within acute pain management, as within any rapidly expanding field of therapeutic endeavor, novel treatment modalities may on occasion overreach their scientific foundations. In general, a cautionary theme is expressed regarding the utilization of various therapies, lest their overzealous clinical implementation jeopardizes the advancement of this highly promising field. With regard to demand-mode opioid therapeutics in particular, several areas in need of corroborative or elucidative research have been delineated. The subject of dosing for acute pain conditions with opiates via the epidural route versus intravenous opioid administration is discussed from the perspectives of practicality and risk/benefit assignments. The advisability and means of using demand-mode techniques in order to resolve the central issue of inherent benefits of opioid administration via one route or another is also presented.
authors.affiliation: Pain Management, Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C. 20007-2197.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics